The Lost Soul
by LookAliveSunshine03
Summary: A Twilight fanfiction. Anna, an emotionally damaged woman with great power, is on the hunt for the vampire who betrayed her gifted coven to the Volturi - the same man who twisted them to his will in the first place. Her unpredictable power attracts the attention of Aro, but with a heart already shattered, she doesn't feel anything for such a formidable man...right?
1. Chapter 1: Who is the betrayer?

**The Lost Soul**

**A _Twilight _fanfiction**

**Author's**** Note:** _Hello there! Welcome to my first ever _Twilight _fanfiction. I hope you enjoy reading it, and your reviews are greatly appreciated. Just, you know, don't be too harsh. I'm only human. And persistent Twi-haters get on my nerves after a while. Okay, we get it, you think sparkly vampires are lame, no need to go on about it!._

_This story is kind of inspired by _Jane Eyre - _well,__ the complex-but-cute relationship between Mr Rochester and Jane, anyway *wink*_

_The chapter's name comes from the absolutely fantastic song that is 'Heavy In Your Arms' by Florence + the Machine. Seriously, I love her work, and coincidentally, the song features in soundtrack for_ Eclipse. _I really hope she does a song for _Breaking Dawn Part 2 _when it comes out..._

_Ooh, and the inevitable disclaimer: I only own the French coven (that's Anna, Beth, Antoine, Sabine, Darius, and Freya). That's it. OK? OK._

_So, without further ado, let the story begin!_

**LookAliveSunshine03 :)**

* * *

Chapter 1:

**Who is the betrayer?**

July 16th, 2010

The night air felt pregnant, swollen with the approaching storm. Strange then, that as Anna inhaled, it burnt her nostrils with cruel ice. She did not move, however Beth shifted restlessly in her crouch beside her.

"Why do they stand and wait? Why don't they run?"

She said nothing. She didn't know.

They could see all three of their coven below, from their position on the mountain's ledge. In a crude way, they looked almost like actors on a stage, tightly holding hands in a final encore. The moonlight glimmered off their heads, like a ghostly spotlight.

Their coven's unelected leader, Antoine, was the oldest, and far more experienced vampire (being the only male in the group had absolutely nothing to do with it). He stood beside Sabine, his lunar-haired _belle._

_His_ _mate of almost a century._ The thought made Anna heavy with sorrow. _They will never make that anniversary._

It also aggrieved her to think that just two days ago, she and Beth had been exploring the isles of Dartmoor, without a care in the world. It had all been Beth's idea to leave, two months ago, of course, and it was her idea to go there. She had been all-too eager to escape Antoine's disapproval of her choice of diet.

There wasn't much deer to hunt for in France.

But when she'd asked Anna to go with her to explore _the big, wide world_, well, Anna hadn't needed to be asked twice. She'd spent most of a century stuck under the rest of her coven's thumb, being told where she should and shouldn't go, and at last, she had had enough. Like a caged bird, she had yearned to fly free, but had simply been too afraid to do it alone – until Beth.

Young and jovial, Beth had the gift of an invisible glamour, and was wise beyond her years. It was sometimes hard to believe she had only celebrated her nineteenth human year, two days ago. Yet in vampire years, she was just a child.

"What's stopping them?" her impatient voice broke Anna out of her brooding. Her topaz eyes flashed in frustration. "Why don't they _run?_"

"Hush, Beth," Anna said, gently.

But even she was perplexed. Freedom had been a terribly daunting thing at first, but she had just been getting used to it when on Beth's birthday, Sabine had emailed from France. Antoine had a _surprise_ for them, she had said.

Alarm bells had started ringing. Even in writing, Sabine had sounded a bit… off, but she had told them that they had to return home "_**right away**_."

Well, Anna hadn't known what to expect, but it certainly wasn't the reason why they sat here now, watching their coven, like spectators in their (slightly uncomfortable) seats.

_Freya. _She was the constant flash of movement in Anna's vision, the prowling shadow that paced back and forth, restless, afraid… and deadly. Her family hid her protectively from view behind them_._

Their immortal child.

Anna knew she shouldn't love her, but how could she not? Freya was innocent…but then she wasn't. She was the reason Antoine and Sabine were to die, yet she wouldn't do it knowingly. She was only four years old, with beautiful strawberry-blonde ringlets, and a cherubic smile that could melt even the hardest of hearts.

_Too young to be a vampire, _Anna swallowed. _Oh, Antoine, why did you do this to us?_

She didn't understand it. Antoine had been her creator; it had been his responsibility to teach her the laws of being a vampire, and so he had. Hammering these rules into her head almost relentlessly, until she'd had no choice but to remember them, and Beth had faced the same treatment.

_Rule number one: keep our existence a secret. _

_Rule number two: the prohibition of creating child vampires. _

No ifs, no buts.

So what had made him forget them entirely?

Perhaps that answer was simple. Antoine could see the potential in every human, after all. He had seen that Beth would have an invisible glamour, and that Sabine would heal with her hands before he even turned them, and Freya's mild form of telekinesis had only strengthened after the Change.

"Look at her down there," Beth muttered. Her butter-yellow eyes softened at Freya's erratic form. "She must be so confused and frightened."

All the anger they felt was for Antoine. He could be dreadfully selfish whenever his gift was involved. If he liked what he saw, he _took_ – so long as he stuck to the rules. Usually.

_Does he regret it?_ Anna wondered.

Despite his rash behaviour, she could not deny he had a good heart. He had rescued Freya from the clutches of a paedophile, and she too had been the result of his kindness all those years ago. Though unless it was restrained, Anna's power was often... unpredictable.

It was the reason why he had sent her away, upon their return home from Dartmoor. Her presence would have just been more kindling to further draw these deadly moths to them.

Anna had protested, of course. The idea of leaving her coven to die without her was something she could not bear. But he just shook his head with the sorrowful acceptance of a convicted man, and had refused to listen to her anymore.

This reaction had surprised and worried her. Knowing him as well as she did, she had expected more of a fight. She remembered his anger and disappointment as he had scolded her like a disobedient child, all those years ago. It hurt to remember the reason why she had strayed from him…

The first flash of lightning splintered the sky in the distance, making both girls start. The ensuing thunder growled, like a cantankerous beast from the heavens, and Anna heard Freya cry out in fear below. It reminded her all over again, how young she was.

_Does she understand what was going on?_ _Does she know she is about to meet her doom?_

As much as it hurt to admit, Anna knew it was the right thing to do. She had been around Freya long enough to know what a frightening risk she was. Like all immortal children, there was her almost unquenchable thirst to deal with, which was bad enough without having to deal with her telekinesis.

Due to her young age, Freya was still susceptible to the odd tantrum or two, and at times like _that_, she didn't even have to move a single muscle to cause things to be hurled across the room, for windows to shatter. And if she was in a _really_ bad mood, doors were sometimes even blasted off their hinges. She was like a hurricane had ripped its way through a room.

Another flicker of lightning, and the thunder was like the sound of an avalanche to Anna's ears. She flinched instinctively away, feeling a little foolish.

_They will be here soon._

Antoine and Sabine had not moved at all, but Freya continued to pace, her head darting here and there; glancing up into the mountains, hissing and whimpering.

Anna's heart ached helplessly for her. _It will all be over soon, little one._

But something inside her still stubbornly refused to believe that, even when they finally appeared out of the darkness, like silent wraiths floating on the air.

Suddenly, her palms burst into a fit of prickling, making her gasp.

_These are powerful vampires…_ she thought with some trepidation, and balled up her fists.

Beth moaned. "Oh, God…"

Their black cloaks whispered with their quiet feet. Their faces were frustratingly blocked from Anna's view, by their hoods, but she could make out six people all together. Four men, judging by their sizes – one towered over the rest of them, like a vast tree trunk – but there were also two other, smaller members, maybe only in their teens. Anna noticed that, unlike the other members, their cloaks appeared a lot darker, almost at one with the night itself. The thought made her shiver, though she was not entirely sure why.

Two of the men stepped forward and lowered their hoods, and Beth's mouth fell open with a quiet _pop_.

"Look at their _skin_!" she whispered, horrified.

It was unsettlingly white in the moonlight; _transparent_, like an onion's. One of them was blonde, with a distinctively haughty look in his face. The other was a lot better-looking, slim, with hair like a raven's wing.

The pleasant tone in his voice caught Anna totally off-guard.

"Good evening, Antoine."

Antoine's proud head lifted to address him. "Good evening, Lord Aro" – he paused – "I only wish the weather was more _agreeable._"

Beth was aghast. _He's talking about the _weather _at a time like this?! _She mouthed, incredulously.

"Indeed." Aro nodded, solemnly.

"Where is the child?" the white-haired one suddenly asked, impatiently. Anna couldn't help but notice that while _he_ appeared hungry for the ensuing bloodbath, Aro looked almost apologetic about it.

_How… odd._

Antoine's tone was unnaturally cool. "She is here."

Sabine said nothing.

_What is wrong with her?_

The girls watched, bewildered, as Antoine came to Freya's side. When she saw him, her pacing ceased, and a look of pure delight lit up her beautiful face.

It was heartbreaking. "_Ant!_" she squealed, beaming.

"It's alright, _ma cherie_," Antoine replied in a low voice. "Come."

Staring up at him with eyes full of love and trust, Freya let her adopted father lead her out – until she saw the Volturi, standing there.

Aro summoned the large vampire. "Felix. Please."

Freya's bright, scarlet eyes widened. "Ant, no! Nooooo!"

She began to cry, clutching at her father, but he stood beside her, stoic and unmoving as a rock. Anna stared around her in horror, as the mountains began to tremble with her terror.

Beth was thinking along the same wave-length. "She could bring them all down!"

Anna's mind cried out for movement, but she knew they had to remain frozen in place. It was a selfish thing to think, but she knew that Sabine and Antoine had to die.

_They broke the rules, _she thought. A tearless sob escaped her throat.

Freya's death was swift, practised. Her shrill cries were brutally cut off, as Felix ripped her beautiful head from her shoulders with a single jerk of her neck. Anna flinched at the hideous sound it made; like cracking a slab of marble in two.

The mountains were still once more, and with an almost mournful sigh, Aro came forward and took something out from his robes.

It winked silver in the night, and as he flicked it open, yellow fire burst from it, like a ravenous demon. It consumed Freya's decapitated body hungrily, spitting sparks of relish.

Beth was moaning beside Anna, and she wrapped an arm around her quivering shoulders, looking to Sabine, expecting some kind of emotion.

_I don't understand, _she thought, blinking in bewilderment.

Because Sabine just stood there, gazing at all that was left of Freya in the fire. No weeping. No hint of sadness at all; only a strange look of detached interest.

Anna could understand Antoine's blank reaction, the man hiding his emotions, like they always did, but this was…wrong. Sabine had always been a very sensitive woman, one who couldn't even watch the _news_ without having the vampire equivalent of a cry.

"I thought that you of all people understood our laws," Aro was saying to Antoine, sadly. "It was quite a surprise when Darius informed me of what you had done."

Beth gave a gasp. "_Darius?_"

Darius Tuono had been a member of their coven long before either of them. Intimidating in size and personality, they had no idea how old he was exactly, but he had the appearance of a man in his mid-twenties.

He had left mysteriously a month before. Neither of them had been unhappy to hear he had gone.

Antoine looked at Aro, blankly and with a hollow voice, he said. "Do what you have to do."

_No! _Anna wanted to shriek. The Antoine she knew would have put up a fight – what was _wrong _with them?

_Darius, _her mind whispered. An ember of fury began to glow in her dead heart. _Darius!_

Antoine and Sabine, a couple who had adored one another, since the end of the Second World War, did not even kiss each other goodbye. The fire that had gorged itself on Freya's remains leapt higher for its next meal.

"Thank you, Felix," Aro said. Felix bowed and returned to the group. "Our work here is done."

"What of the other members of the coven?" the blonde-haired one asked. "The two women Darius showed you?

With a panicked gasp, Beth grabbed Anna's hand.

Anna hissed through her teeth. The sudden movement meant caught her unawares, and Beth's invisible glamour blanketed them both.

She pulled gently away, grimacing at the effort it took.

"Wait."

Aro turned to face his family. "They did not play a part in the creation of the child. I doubt they even know what has happened today."

_If only._

"So, may we go home now?" a young, female voice asked.

Aro turned to smile at her, a little sadly. "Yes, dear one. We may."

Anna did not know what it was, maybe the wind had snatched up their scents - maybe he felt her eyes on him - but suddenly, he looked up.

The feeling of being caught out was like a deadly lightning bolt to her frozen heart, and if Beth hadn't touched her hand again, she was certain he would have seen them, up there on the mountain shelf.

"What is it, Aro?" Caius demanded, following his brother's eyes. To them, of course, there was nothing to be seen but the mountain wall.

Aro frowned. His gaze was intense, searching for the source of the smell. It made Anna feel not unlike butterfly, pinned down on a corkboard by a curious collector.

At length, he said, "It is nothing," and turned away. "Come, let us go."

And they disappeared as quietly as they had come, just as the rain began to fall.

* * *

Beth only released Anna when she was sure the coast was completely clear.

"That was close," she gasped.

"Yes," Anna swallowed, rubbing her tingling hand. "It was."

Her friend laughed, nervously. "He was looking _right at _you."

"I know." She tried to sound unabashed, but the trembling edge in her voice betrayed her. She swallowed again. "Come on."

She went down first, landing lightly on her feet. That alien chill in the air had disappeared, along with its creator.

She shook her heavy, dark hair out of her eyes. "We must find Darius' scent."

Beth hit the ground with a snarl. "Coward has probably run off by now. Let's hope we catch him before we lose it."

They began to walk. The rain was quick to soak them through, but they paid it no heed. Wet, heavy clothing does not stop a vampire when she is on the hunt.

They passed the burning remains of their coven.

"What made him do it, do you think?" Beth asked, suddenly.

She avoided looking at the guttering fire at all costs.

"Darius and Antoine never were on the… best of terms."

Beth grunted. "No shit."

Sniffing the air, Anna grimaced. The sickly-sweet smell of dead vampire pervaded her nostrils, like poison.

"He had to be up in the mountains," she said, looking up the mountain wall. "Come on, the stench here is making me feel sick."

She caught the stricken look in Beth's eyes, and sighed.

"I'm sorry, but Sabine and Antoine…all that's left of them is ash."

"I know," Beth said, quietly. "I just can't believe they've gone."

Anna nodded, sadly. That ember of vehemence was already burning in her again. "Darius has a lot to answer for."

Together, they began to scale the craggy wall adjacent to the mountain they had previously watched from. With their keen vampire limbs finding every nook and cranny, they climbed quickly with ease.

"What will we do when we find him?" Beth turned her head to ask, as they ascended. Her unnaturally red hair was plastered to her forehead, dark and wet as blood from the relentless downpour. "He's a big bloke – and then there's that annoying mind-control thing he can do…"

"We get him to confess."

"Can you do that?"

"Yes."

Beth believed her completely. "Okay."

When they reached the top of the mountain, the rain was beginning to stop at last. The thunder that growled was now a harmless, distant rumble.

"Can you smell him?" Beth whispered, gazing around with flared nostrils.

Anna paused, watching the purple, bruise-like smoke of the fire spiral up to further congeal the dark night's sky. "No. We need to move away from here. The smoke is too thick."

"Right."

They hurried away, tasting the air like wolves as they went.

"He is a good hunter," Anna remarked, looking to the ground as if to find his footprints in the rocky soil. There were none, of course. "His scent is sparse."

"We'll find him," Beth muttered. Her teeth were bared and gleaming. Vegetarian or not, she was still a fierce vampire.

They sniffed and searched around the mountain, and just when Anna was starting to lose hope of finding it, she caught it, floating on the breeze. It was unmistakable; musky with spice, testosterone, and _rage_.

"Here," she said, a little breathlessly. "Darius was here."

"You sure?" Beth gave an almighty sniff. Her nose wrinkled. "Ew, yeah you're sure. God, he _stinks_!"

The mountain was a vast, flat surface, bordered by tall, thin trees, but it did not take them long to follow his scent to the very edge of it.

"Oh, hell," Beth peered over it, fearfully. "He jumped _that _far?"

Anna nodded. "Looks to be that way, doesn't it?" She looked at her, amused. "Are you scared?"

"Yes. You?"

"No. Come on, I don't want to lose his scent."

And with a rare, impish grin, she jumped.

Beth squeaked. "Holy shit!"

It was a long way down, at least thirty feet, but Anna laughed with the exhilaration of it.

_I shouldn't be laughing, _a small part of her thought. _I'm on the hunt for the man who played a significant part in the killing of my coven, but Lord, I've never felt so _alive!

She landed with the grace of a cat. The ground was grassy and lush here, leading into a small alcove that _reeked_ of Darius.

"Are you dead?" Beth called. Her open mouth was a small black hole in her face, peeking over the edge of the mountain. Anna grinned up at her.

"Are you coming then?"

* * *

As they ran through the forest, Anna ruminated.

_Why did he do it? What was his motivation?_

Darius had always been a complicated figure in her life. He had a mysterious past, but according to Antoine, he had come from somewhere in Italy, with no recollection of who had created him, or who he even was, which probably explained why he had taken to life as a vampire so easily. He'd learnt to hunt humans on instinct, picking out the lowest of society, so they would not notice anything out of sorts. He lured prostitutes, the homeless, and the like with his ability to control them through thought, and his uniquely hypnotic voice.

The humans he fed from had no knowledge of their deaths, even as he drained them of their life-blood.

He joined Antoine's coven a year before Anna felt the agony of vampire venom in late 1914, but by then, he had grown tired of treating humans gently. So Darius began to _really_ use into his power, to humiliate his victims, and strip them of their dignity, especially the women.

Anna saw this often.

One particular memory suddenly darted across her mind, like a malicious shark. She shuddered away from it, yet it somehow enveloped her against her will, like a choking, plastic bag...

* * *

_It had been five months since her Change, and she was what they called "coming back". It meant that she was no longer Anna the blood-thirsty new born, and as each day passed, she could feel her restraint strengthening. She could walk amongst humans now, with only a little bit of venom flooding her mouth._

…_But her depression still remained, like a blanket of lead upon her shoulders. It mercilessly weighed her down, until she thought she would plunge through the ground itself. Probably straight into the fiery pits of Hell. It was what she deserved._

_It was just her, Antoine and Darius then, living together separately in Italy (Darius' choice who, strangely, seemed to know it all like the back of his hand, despite having no human memories). It was a beautiful, new and exciting place for hunting at night, but that didn't stop her from feeling desperately homesick. She missed the colder, wetter climates of England. She longed for the cosy, togetherness of her hometown, her friends and neighbours. _

_She longed for _him.

_That night, Anna wondered the streets to clear her head. Her thirst was happily sated, and the humans were sound asleep in their beds. They were safe. Now was the time for the creatures of the dark to roam free._

_Rounding a slight corner, she felt their presence before seeing them. Her palms began to tingle. She was getting use to the abruptness of it, whenever it came, but it was an irritating sensation all the same. It felt like winged insects had stupidly burrowed under her skin, and were now desperately trying to fly; it only worsened with every step she took. _

_Her gift was always useful for picking out the wolves from the sheep. _

A vampire is here. A powerful one. _Anna balled up her hands into tight fists to lessen the feeling, and opened up all of her senses to assess the situation. Inhaling deeply, she let all the smells around her seep into her pores: _

_The faint smell of baked bread, a flower she did not recognise – and a _woman, _drenched in the pungent sweetness of cheap perfume, and her own sharp-tasting adrenalin. The vampire's latest victim. _

_The nearer she walked, the more Anna could hear the human's pitiful whimpering, laced on the night's breeze. _

_Except there was something different about the noises she was making. They were not full of fear, but –_

"No!_" Anna gasped, as Darius' scent hit her. Testosterone-charged musk, intensified by lust…_

_She began to run towards the sounds, when all she really wanted was to run _away_. The human's whimpers were becoming moans. _

I do not want to see this.

_Anna skidded to a stop, and was repulsed by the scene before her. _

_He had the human in an alleyway, shoved up against the brick wall. __She was young, maybe only in her late teens, but the smudged rouge on her sunken cheeks made her look older. She was desperately thin, like she hadn't had a decent meal in months. The things Darius was doing to her was probably enough to break every bone in her body, but the girl did not try to stop him. _

_Even when he bit down upon her bare neck, she did not protest at all, but only gasped with mewling pleasure. Darius guzzled at her greedily, like a possessed, rabid animal. _

_Anna snarled in disgust. She ran at them, and grabbed at Darius's huge shoulder._

"Get away from her!_"_

_The prickling of power in her palms exploded, with a painless agony, and she felt the rush of grim triumph, when he jumped away from the girl against his will. _

_The human fell down, lifeless, like a puppet with cut strings. _

_Darius gave a beastly howl of rage, finally looking at her. "You bitch_!_"_

_His eyes were bright scarlet, flashing with volcanic fury. His black hair was coming loose from its tie, tumbling in mad curls around his twisted face. He looked quite mad, but even when he leapt at her throat, Anna was not afraid. A cool mist of calm had descended over her mind, and she merely feinted out of his way, watching froth and venom dripping from his snarling mouth._

"_You should have more control over yourself, Darius," she said. "We hunt… because we must. We take what we need to survive. We do not – not –" She swallowed, too overcome by disgust to speak for a moment. "We do not satisfy _other_ appetites we may have, at the expense of human dignity!"_

"_She was _begging _for it!" Darius sneered, shoving his face into hers. "They _all _do – why deny them their final request?"_

_His voice, usually soft, low and lilting, was now a harsh, slurring bark which seemed to spit in the face of his exquisite Italian accent, as well as Anna's. _

_She did not flinch away. _"_We may be monsters, but we still have our morals!"_

_Her hand was an iron grip on his forearm, allowing her power to feed greedily upon his. She was preventing him from moving or doing anything other than blinking and breathing. _

"_Go home. Now."_

_And with a savage roar, he did._

* * *

"Anna? Hey, Anna!"

She blinked, feeling the memory slip off her, like a frosted veil. Beth was staring at her with wide, topaz eyes filled with concern.

"Where did you go?" she asked, laughing a little nervously. "Memory Lane?"

Anna swallowed. "Yes, I – I must have. Sorry."

Outside of her head, the world around her seemed suddenly vivid and bright. The emerald forest had dispersed, diminished into a scrubby, rough clearing of milky-tea-brown. There was a faint rushing in her ears, and she sniffed, expecting to smell Darius' repugnant musk, but…

Beth took the words right out of her mouth. "I can't smell him. You don't think -?"

Anna groaned softly, the source of the rushing sound cracking, like a whiplash in her mind. "The river."

They burst into a run, dread already sinking like a stone in their chests.

"We won't be able to track him through water!" Beth cried, scowling in frustration. "Shit!"

They skidded to a stop at the bank where the river went cheerily by, winking out at them in the moonlight.

"What now?"

Anna swallowed. Her insides ached with furious misery, but she pushed it aside.

"We have to go to the Volturi."

Beth stared at her, sharply. "You're _kidding_. After – after what we've just seen?! No!" she shook her head violently, in a tight movement not unlike the way Felix had moved Freya's.

_Crack. _She shuddered, feeling sick to her empty stomach.

But Anna was as calm as ever. "I know it sounds foolish…but they have to know that Antoine and Sabine should not have been killed. If it weren't for Darius, they would still be here, right?"

"_Right_, but_"

"Darius knows we'll be looking for him now. He purposely came this way to block his scent from us, and there's nothing we can do about it."

Beth hissed, dubiously. "Except ask for the help of our coven's _killers_?!"

"They knew Antoine," Anna murmured. "Before Sabine, he helped them find vampires with powers for them – so they have to be as confused as we are. They want to know why he did what he did. We can give them answers." Her eyes steeled. "And they will help us bring Darius to justice."

"Anna, we hid up there, so they _wouldn't_ know we were there!" Beth replied, exasperatedly. "But more importantly, so they wouldn't know about _you_. And now you want us to go straight to them?" she gave a derisive chuckle. "Nah. No way. That's just fucking daft and suicidal!"

"So you will allow Darius to remain a free man, and go unpunished?" Anna asked.

"No! We'll find him _ourselves_, Anna!"

"And he will evade us at every turn – just like he did here." She swallowed. "We need a tracker to best him at his own game."

"_You're _a good tracker!"

"Thank you," she smiled, thinly. "But we require someone better than I. Who better than the Volturi?"

Beth groaned, and pressed her knuckles into her eyes, as if she had a headache. "Shit." When she pulled them away, she sighed, wearily. "You're absolutely set on doing this, aren't you?"

Anna nodded, solemnly. "I am. But I cannot do it alone."

"Ha! Now that's what I call emotional blackmail." She snorted. "But I guess you're right…we aren't doing so great here on our own."

"No." Anna replied, laughing grimly.

"So…we're going to the Volturi?" The idea was clearly making Beth very uneasy.

"Unless you know of anyone else who can track better than Darius?"

She grimaced. "No."

"Then, yes," Anna said. "We are going to the Volturi."

* * *

**A/N: **Sooo...what do you think? Is it good? Crap? Let me know!


	2. Chapter 2: Entering the lion's den

**Hello again! Wow, I am completely blown away by the great feedback I have received for the first chapter. Massive heaps of gratitude to ****victoria cullen30**** and ****Hermione Voldemort Riddle ****(my first ever reviewer! *squee*) in particular. Despite being kinda short, I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as the first one. You get a bit more of an idea of what Anna's power might be, but unfortunately, you're just gonna have to wait until chapter 3 for it all to become clear. I know I'm mean, aren't I? But there shouldn't be long to wait for it, so don't be too disheartened!**

**So, for now, enjoy!**

**LookAliveSunshine03**

**Disclaimer: Anything that sounds familiar is not mine. Anna, Beth and Darius and co. ****_are _****mine, though, so keep yer mits offa them, heheh. **

**Rated M for Beth's potty mouth, and rather bad behaviour, courtesy of Darius. **

* * *

**Chapter 2:**

**Entering the lion's den**

_Two days later _

Standing on the edge of a steep hill, Anna smiled.

The city of Volterra rose up to greet them, like an elaborate sand castle, and a deliciously cool breeze ruffled her hair. She inhaled deeply.

It smelt of…sweet, foreign flowers, the distant, salty sting of the ocean and –

_Ah!_

Humans.

The scent of their blood came over her in a wave of rapturous dizziness. She was not that thirsty, but the low burning fire in her throat was an uncontrollable knee-jerk reaction.

She swallowed back venom, grimacing at its sweet, metallic taste.

"I can't believe we're here!" Beth exclaimed, too caught-up in the view to notice her discomfort. Her fear over what they were about to do had evidently disappeared along with the wisy clouds, as the glorious Italian countryside had descended upon them outside their plane window, just hours before.

She hoisted her rucksack further up her arms. "I've never been to Italy before, have you?"

"I don't know," Anna replied, looking out through her sunglasses. They were Sixties-style, so they covered up most of her face; like the scarf that was already tied around her mouth, they were necessary against the bright sunshine. "I cannot remember."

Behind her own bandana, Beth grinned. "I can't remember either. Come on, let's go. My feet are getting itchy."

They had arrived in Italy almost two hours previously, and had been greeted by a maliciously hot sun. It made Anna incredibly nervous, as they began their swift descent into Volterra, where the humans were pigeons – and they were the lionesses, creeping into their flock.

She was certain some of the more observant humans would catch a tell-tale sparkle of their skin, as she passed them by. Of course none had, but even now, out of human company, she felt exposed; naked in the stifling heat. The tan, leather jacket and jeans she wore didn't help with that, either.

Beth, on the other hand, seemed to take it all in her stride. She sauntered through the crowds of bustling tourists like a knife through butter, while Anna struggled to keep her cool in such close proximity to the humans. Sometimes it paid off to be a vegetarian vampire.

Beth also seemed utterly impervious to the staring eyes around them. Anna couldn't blame the humans, really. Beth wore thick, corded jeans and a blood-red turtle neck…but it was the x-ray, skeleton bandana, covering her mouth and nose which made the humans gawp most of all. She looked like a highway woman with a taste for the macabre.

But of course, the humans were just the first obstacle! Their _true_ goal was something far more intimidating. The memory of the cold, detached way her coven were dispatched before their very eyes, while the Volturi watched calmly on, still haunted Anna's ever-awake conscious.

The streets of Volterra _pulsed_ with human life, and the girls had to gently fight their way through, leaving many shouting Italians in their wake, but otherwise unharmed.

"_Attento!_"

"_Guarda dove stai andando, idiota!_"

The narrow streets, shaded by the wall-to-wall buildings, all led out into a small courtyard that was mercifully empty of humans. Anna and Beth skirted round an enormous stone fountain, with a column of angels blithely spouting water from their pretty, eroded mouths.

Catching her reflection in the water's rippling surface, Anna could see why the humans' faces were bent into question marks around her. Who were these strangers, with the motorcycle-bandit bandanas? She tried to keep her head high, like Beth, ignoring the cringing sensation in the pit of her stomach, until they'd made their way out of the crowds completely.

Here they found the Volturi's headquarters, and Anna saw the faded, dog-eared photographs Antoine had of it did not do it justice. It was an intimidating spectacle that loomed up to meet them, like a silent giant, regarding them with almost haughty suspicion. Its prominent, circular roof was all that set it apart from the other ancient buildings that surrounded the bustling street; they all looked tiny and inadequate compared to it.

Beth looked at Anna, with her lips caught apprehensively between her teeth.

"Well…here goes nothing."

With the sun a glaring spotlight on the backs of their heads, the girls approached the doors. Her legs were like rubber, but Anna suddenly felt incredibly underdressed, as well as terrified.

Beth reached out to touch the entrance, only to yank her hand away, as if it had tried to bite her.

"I can't do it," she gulped, tearing her scarf away from her mouth. "I'm too scared. _You_ do it!"

Sighing, Anna reached out and gave the door a good, hard knock that seemed to echo through the whole building. Her fingers and toes were actually _tingling_ with anticipation, as they waited, though she remained typically patient…

Beth, not so much.

"Come _on_!" she growled, shifting her weight impetuously.

When the door finally opened, it made her jump a little. A young man was revealed, and though Anna knew he was a vampire like them, she gasped all the same. He was achingly beautiful and olive-skinned, with dark curls. His eyes were bright scarlet.

Suspicious.

"Yes?"

Anna swallowed. That old, human shyness was creeping up again. Thankfully, Beth was there to save the day.

"_Ciao_," she said, flashing him her disarmingly bright smile as she did. "Is this the Volturi residence?"

The man's expression didn't change. "It is. Who are you?"

"I'm Beth." She took off her sunglasses, and Anna saw his scrutinising eyes widen at what hid behind them. "And this is my friend, Anna."

"What do you want here?"

Anna swallowed steeling her nerves, before speaking perfectly in Italian. "We need your Masters' help."

He finally looked at her, surprised to hear such fluency. "Is that so?" he replied, in the same tongue.

"Yes, sir," Anna said, the words rolling eloquently off her tongue. "We come in the name of our coven. You must –"

He stepped aside, permitting them to come in. Anna assumed it was only because the humans would start to notice if they lurked for too long outside, and when they had, he shut the door with a firm hand.

_Old hinges, _Beth thought randomly, pocketing her glasses and scarf in her jeans.

"Follow me," the vampire said, and began to walk.

Exchanging another apprehensive look, the girls matched his speed with ease. Anna waited for her eyes to adjust, taking everything in. She saw Beth seemed painfully skittish and nervous, all of a sudden, twitching at every little noise. All that bravado had vanished, but Anna felt her friend's pain; the sudden darkness pressed against her at all angles, and it made her very uncomfortable.

She just knew how to hide it better.

"You say you come here in the name of your coven?" Their guide's voice was hollow against stone walls. "Why?"

"They were unlawfully killed," Anna replied, quietly. "Betrayed, by a man called Darius Tuono."

"Hmph." He grunted, yet somehow he still sounded like a fallen angel. "I do not know that name."

"He came here not so long ago, saying that _Antoine Jean_ had created an immortal child," Beth prompted, acidly. "I hear that name is quite well-known here."

"It was," a female voice suddenly replied from the shadows. Beth hissed in surprise, and their guide's lip quirked.

"Ah, Jane. I wondered where you had been hiding."

Anna's stomach clenched with nerves, as "Jane" stepped out into the dim light of the hall. She was small and blonde, with the angelic face of a twelve-year-old…except her eyes. They were cool and impassive, glinting like rubies in the dark.

_An old woman's eyes… that have seen and enjoyed far too many unspeakable things, _Anna thought, with a slight shiver.

All the while, her palms were prickling. Both of these vampires had a power, yet in the presence of Jane, the prickling had increased incredibly. Looking at her, Anna thought it highly unlikely that such an intimidating little creature could something cute, like grow daisies with her mind.

_She would _destroy_ them, instead._

"Who are these people, Demetri?" Jane asked. Her question was directed at him, yet she was staring hard at them. Beth squirmed, but Anna gazed right back.

"We are the last of the French coven," she said, softly.

Beth nodded earnestly, and a sigh of relief escaped her, when Jane looked at Demetri.

He noticed this and his lip quirked again. "They knew Antoine Jean."

_Our discomfort amuses him, _Anna thought, with weary disgust.

"So I hear." Those fathomless eyes flashed over them again, narrowing keenly. "Well, we mustn't keep our Masters waiting, must we?"

And with that, Jane turned on her heel, and the two Volturi vampires walked away.

Beth gulped. "Creepy kid." Anna only nodded.

Neither of the Volturi's members said a single word to them, as they came up behind them. Beth's eyes boggled, as the corridor led out into what looked like the lobby of a first-class hotel; a very twenty-first century one, at that.

Anna kept her surprise hidden…but when her trainers began to squeak loudly against the smooth, marble floor, her cold façade slipped a little. She flinched when Jane glared irritably at her.

Suddenly, pain nicked her temple like a bullet, and she gasped out of shock, clutching her head. It was gone as soon as it had come.

Beth was alarmed. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"I…don't know."

Jane smirked.

The reception was a large, spacious room with a floor like a vast chess board, empty, except for a young woman stationed at a desk, next to a single lift. Besides Anna's noisy shoes, the amplified clatter of her manicured nails against a computer keyboard was the only sound to be heard. The Volturi vampires moved in utterly infuriating silence, making Anna grit her teeth.

_If I had known this would be an issue –_

They approached the reception-desk, and the woman's smell wafted towards her.

She stiffened. _Impossible!_

It was mingled with an expensive-smelling perfume, but there was no mistaking it.

_Oh no._

Venom flooded her mouth, and she fought back a growl in her throat.

_Stop it!_

Beth saw her reaction, frowned, sniffed, and her mouth fell open.

"They have a – _human_ as a receptionist?" she exclaimed, wordlessly.

The human glanced up from her computer, and smiled politely at them. She was pretty – well, for a human – with large, hazel eyes and dark hair, tied back in a high ponytail.

"Good afternoon!" she said brightly, in fluid Italian.

Jane did not return her greeting, and neither did Anna, as she tried to get a grip on herself. Beth gave her a cheery (if rather unnerved) wave.

"Good afternoon, Gianna," Demetri smiled, dazzlingly. The girl practically swooned in her seat.

_Incredible! _Anna's conscious squeaked, bewildered. _She must know. How could she not?_

Jane called for the lift, and the doors promptly opened with a soft _whoosh_. She must have seen the stunned look on their faces, because she smiled.

And it wasn't a nice smile, either.

Anna swallowed the last of the venom in her mouth. "Does she -?"

"Know?" she asked, her eyebrows arched superiorly. "Yes."

"But I thought humans _weren't_ supposed to know about us," Beth blurted out.

"_Well_ observed."

"Gianna wishes to become one of us," Demetri replied, and Anna detected a hint of patronisation in his tone. "But that is up to us to decide."

She gritted her teeth, angrily…until a small moan of protest escaped her, when the smell of Gianna's blood was shut out with the lift's doors. Beth looked at her sharply.

_My thirst isn't as quenched as I'd thought… _she thought, swallowing guiltily.

The journey was short, but awkward. The only thing keeping the silence from crushing them was the tinkling, classical music coming from some hidden speaker. When the lift eventually opened, Anna nearly ran out, breathing a little raggedly.

_Claustrophobia, _Beth thought, sympathetically. _I'd forgotten._

There was only one short corridor to go through this time, and with their eyes drinking in the darkness, they saw it was surprisingly decadent, with mahogany-panelled walls.

"We've literally gone up in the world!" She whispered, to diffuse the tension that rolled off Anna in waves.

Anna smiled a little, just as Jane pushed open the doors.

The smiles were soon to disappear, when she saw what lay beyond them.


	3. Chapter 3: An uncertain alliance

**Woo, I didn't expect such positive reviews, and so many people are now following my story! Yay! If I could give you all a hug, I totally would...so I'll just give you a virtual one instead *hug*. Heehee! Thank you everyone again for such awesome feedback, you're really helping me keep on going with this (you have no IDEA how many false starts it took, before I was happy with where the story was going to go!)**

**OK, so this chapter is a pretty important one, because, well, Anna and Beth meet the Volturi face to face. I sadly do not own the Volturi, (sob) or the Cullens, only my French coven.**

**Oh, and the language is a tad, erm...****_colourful _****here. Beth likes to swear when she's angry/upset/frustrated, I'm afraid!**

**Anyway, enjoy!**

**LookAliveSunshine03**

* * *

**Chapter 3:**

**An uncertain alliance**

"Holy _shit!_"

Aro, the leader of the Volturi, watched with great interest as Demetri and Jane brought the two women into his hall. The one who had made the very rude, _human _remark, wore the incredibly wanton combination of scarlet and black. It accentuated her choppy shoulder-length hair, which was also a curious shade of red. She walked beside Jane, her eyes huge and gawping.

_But, what's this?_

Aro had only ever seen eyes _that _colour in two rather particular vampire clans. It made a coil of disquiet twist inside him.

Then he remembered. Tuono had told him of this one. _Elizabeth _was her name, and she was not acquainted with any of the Cullens.

The thought made him very glad indeed.

Caius leaned over to him. "Is that a Cullen?" he asked, frowning.

Aro laughed quietly. "No, brother. She is a child of Antoine Jean."

Caius' eyebrows raised a fraction.

"And the other one?"

Ah. How could he have missed her? Both women were – what did they call it? – English roses, but there was something different about this one.

_Anna._

Aro recalled how Tuono saw her through a haze of carnal lust, which had irked him a little. Evidently, Tuono was an arrogant man, enough to believe she was 'playing hard to get', yet it was clear that she wanted absolutely nothing to do with him.

Tuono had also whined about Anna's apparent reclusive, shy, nature. He had likened her to a mouse, yet here in the flesh, Aro saw nothing mouse-like about her at all.

Venom had naturally added to her English beauty, but there was definitely something…exotic, maybe even _dangerous_ about her.

She stared up at the domed ceiling now, with large eyes delicately framed by thick lashes. In the light of the sun, her hair shone like liquid chocolate of the darkest kind, but in the shade it was almost the same colour as his, spilling down her back in wild, curling waves. His curiousity peaked, when she sighed and bowed her head; she balled up her slight fists, as if in pain. Hm.

Tuono had been persistent in pressing the fact both she and Elizabeth were gifted, particularly her.

"We have some messengers in our midst, Master," Demetri was announcing. He saw Anna's jaw clench in annoyance at the smirk in his voice.

"How exciting!" He spread out his hands to his servants. "Come."

They came obediently to his side, and each offered him their hands. He allowed their memories flow into him, like a flood of rushing water.

_"__You say you come here in the name of your coven? Why?"_ In Demetri's memory, Aro was impressed by how incredibly soft and composed Anna's reply was.

_"__They were unlawfully killed, betrayed by a man called Darius Tuono."_

Now, _that_ statement puzzled him. Unlawfully killed? What did she mean by that?

The girls watched on, as his eyes stared off into space, a frown bending the perfect surface of his forehead.

_What's he doing?_ Beth thought. _Reading their minds?_

She could see Anna out of the corner of her eye. Though her face was void of all emotion, her hands were clenched into fists so tight, her knuckles stuck out like ivory piano keys.

_Crap. Whatever it is, it hurts like a motherfucker._

Aro had seen enough, and dismissed his faithful servants. He was disappointed with Jane's behaviour towards Anna, who seemed like the more subdued character of the two girls. The phrase _unlawfully killed_ continued to flash like a warning beacon in his mind.

Getting to his feet, he approached them carefully. Demetri and Jane's memories had told him that they were incredibly wary of him, and rightly so. It was _he _who ordered Felix to dispatch their coven, was it not? Sure enough, they tensed at his approach, like two does ready to spring from the hunter, but they did not run.

They were brave. He admired that.

"You are Elizabeth and Anna… children of the French coven?"

"Yes," Anna replied, softly.

Elizabeth narrowed her strange eyes at him through her jagged fringe. "We _were_ of the French coven," she replied, with icy emphasis. "Until we watched them die by your hands."

Caius growled. "Your precious sire was nothing but a traitorous _fool! _He asked for death!"

Anna frowned. "You cannot call him a fool, when you know not all the details."

His face contorted in rage. "How _dare_ -?"

"Calm yourself, Caius," Marcus murmured, quietly. It was the first time he had spoken.

_My, my, _Aro was pleasantly surprised. For someone so quiet, she certainly knew how to make herself heard when she wanted to.

Caius breathed through his nose, furious, but – amazingly – he shut his mouth with a crack.

_What a charming bloke, _Beth thought, with a smirk.

Aro nodded at Marcus, a quiet thank-you, for dumping water on their brother's fire.

"I am curious to know how you managed to keep yourselves so well hidden, up in that mountain," he said to them, smiling.

Beth grunted. "I'm sure you are."

Caius bristled at her derisive tone, but said nothing.

"That is not important, sir," Anna replied, coolly.

Aro raised his eyebrows at her, intrigued. "Then what is, my dear?"

"We have come here to prove our coven's innocence."

"Oh?"

"You said Darius told you that Antoine had created an immortal child, and so he had." Her voice was calm, but there was a betraying quaver to her voice, as the memory grated against her heart. "We too were shocked to learn that someone we knew so well, a man so devoted to following our laws, could simply _forget _them."

"So we smelt a rat," Beth cut in, venomously. "And we found Darius Tuono's scent on the highest peak of the mountain, but…" Her face soured with heated regret. "We lost it through water, and we haven't been able to find him since."

It was Marcus who asked the number one question.

"How are you so certain that this Darius is the one in the wrong here? Where is your proof?"

Another bewildered look passed between the girls. Evidently, they knew something the Volturi didn't, and that was something Aro could not allow.

"May I see?" he asked, offering a hand. Beth eyed it suspiciously, as if it were a vicious dog that would bite her if she touched it.

"Hmph."

Anna just looked puzzled. "See what?" she asked.

Ah, to be in the unknown was a bitter-sweet feeling. Her palms, now stippled with the deep, half-moon crescents of her nails from clenching them so long, only had the power to tell her that he was gifted. And she would only discover what that was if she touched his hand. That thought made her very nervous. She had never come across a man who made her own gift quite so active.

_He is powerful…perhaps _too _powerful._

"They want to know if we are speaking the truth about Darius." Beth deadpanned.

With a resigned, growling noise, almost like a grumpy cat, she lifted her hand to him. Aro saw her nails were painted neon orange.

"Go ahead, if you must," she said, her yellow eyes flashing a little dangerously. "But you should know you are wasting valuable time here, when you should be helping us find Darius."

"For what purpose?" Marcus inquired. "If it is true that Darius had a larger part to play in this than we know of, it is not in our nature to help others feed their thirst for vengeance."

"Darius is a dangerous man," Beth snapped, impatiently. "He is relentless, and his power –"

"Power?" Aro was astonished. "He is…gifted?"

"Yes," she replied, frowning like she had spoken the obvious. She prompted him with her hand. "Look for yourself."

Aro's swallowed hers, and he was bombarded with images almost immediately.

They were carefully ordered memories, set out almost like a book of photographs. Her name was Elizabeth Rachel Rhodes, and she was aged nineteen, despite her seventeen year old body. Oh, and Tuono had been right; she _was _gifted with an invisible glamour.

_That is why I did not see them, _he thought, with a small, delighted smile.

Yet it was Anna who intrigued him the most. Through Beth's memories, he saw her ability was…exceptional.

_Tempted through touch, our talents could become her play-things._ A familiar hunger began to gnaw at him. _She could be of great use to us._

He watched, like a thief in the shadows of her memories, as she and Anna left their coven, observing their friendship strengthening regardless of their differences. Beth, teaching Anna to control herself…watching with fascination, as her friend hovered a hand over a cover of _Jane Eyre._

_"__Hey, what are you doing?" _

A secret smile that seemed to light up Anna's face from within, like a spark under her porcelain skin_._

_"__I'm reading."_

Then:

"_I killed him, Beth. I MURDERED him."_

It was an earlier memory: Anna, sat in a ball on the floor, all composure dashed from her face, wrought with self-loathing. His intrigue flared, but he did not venture further. Not yet.

It was clear they both despised Darius Tuono, and the closer he looked, the more Aro began to see why. A piercingly bright memory flashed past, one he could not ignore. Like all females, he saw Elizabeth had an uncanny gift for remembering things right down to the slightest detail…

* * *

_It was a sixteen months ago. The coven had been living in a secluded part of Dartmoor, not far from the girls' current residence. He saw Elizabeth, sat cross-legged in a room that was small and tastefully feminine – her bedroom, he assumed – reading a large book on Shakespeare._

_Suddenly, a door hit the wall with a crash, making her start, as Tuono blasted into the room. He wore a dark, skin-tight shirt and black jeans; the only colour being the violent flash of his scarlet eyes. _

_Aro could see that Beth was all-too-accustomed to Sam's all-too-dramatic entrances, but he still felt her indignation in that memory, seeing that fresh mark on her wall._

He wouldn't like it if I did that to his wall!

_"__Where is she?!" he intruded further into her room. _

_This appalled Aro greatly. _He was never taught to knock on a lady's door before entering.

_"__Who?" Beth asked, with great control. She obviously enjoyed poking the tiger with a big stick, judging by the rush of malignant joy that came with it._

_"__Don't try to be smart. Tell me where Anna is." His shrewd eyes were darting impatiently back and forth around the room, as if he was expecting to find Anna hiding under her rug. _

_Beth rolled her eyes, and shut her book with deliberate care. She placed it gently beside her, and uncrossed her legs._

_"__I don't know, but I'm pretty sure she wouldn't hide _here,_ if she's playing hide-and-seek with you. I think my room's too sm_"_

_"__I _said_ don't try to be smart with me, Rhodes!"_

_Tuono said this last part with his face just inches away from hers. Beth barely flinched, though she remembered his breath smelled unsettlingly sweet, almost minty. And it revolted her._

_"__I told you. I. Don't. Know. Now get out of my face."_

_He stepped away, but his flashing eyes never stopped moving._

_"__So, where is she?"_

_"__Oh, for fuck's _sake_, Darius!" Beth cried, exasperatedly. "I keep telling you, I don't know! She's probably out hunting."_

_"__You're lying."_

_He said it so quietly – so _calmly_ – it stole her voice from its box. Darius Tuono was never _calm_._

_"__Tell me where Anna is, Rhodes. You _know_ where she is. Tell me. Now."_

_With a chill down her back, she realised he was trying to hold her gaze. _

_"__Go look for her yourself," she said, avoiding his gaze._

_But the next thing she knew, Darius had forced her chin up, violently pushing her head back; she actually heard something in her neck _crack_. It takes a hell of a lot of strength for a vampire's neck to do such a human thing, and it made her feel…weak._

_"__No!" Her reaction was instinctive. She shut her eyes, but she could already feel the cold, numbing sensation of his power trying to trickle its way into her mind._

I wish I had Anna's gift!_ She thought, with aching misery._

* * *

It was here that Aro let go of her hand. His insides were alight with slow-burning anger.

"Well, brother?" Caius asked. "What have you learnt?"

Aro pressed his hands together, as if in prayer. "It appears that we have been deceived. Tuono is indeed terribly gifted – with the ability to force others unto his whim. He used this to cloud our minds, and use us to dispose of his coven for him."

Anna could see that despite himself, Aro was…_impressed_ by Darius' gall. He was still smiling.

Caius, however, was not. He pounded the arms of his chair, with a furious snarl. "He shall die for what he has done!"

This time, Marcus did not stop his temper. He asked, "Why did Tuono feel the need to kill his coven? He is clearly a man of great cunning. He would not have done it without reason."

Anna gulped. She did not wish to hear Darius' disturbing plan pass through the lips of Aro, a man she barely knew, but she held her peace. Perhaps the Volturi _would _help them, now that they too had felt the sting of Darius' conceit.

"Yes," Aro murmured, and he turned to look at her. "Indeed he did."

He saw her eyes – so unfeasibly _large_ – were wary and alert, like a doe hedging towards a hidden trap.

Underneath a mundane leather jacket and weather-beaten jeans, her body was as taut as a harp string. It made him want to comfort her, this poor child, who wanted nothing more than to live in peace, despite the wound in her heart that refused to heal.

In that tiny moment, that feeling of being a rare find being examined by a keen collector came over Anna, and she fought back a gasp.

_What is he thinking?_

"Well?" Caius demanded. "What is the reason?"

Aro blinked, and the spell between them was broken.

"I'm afraid Anna is."

When he'd finished explaining why, the hall was silent for what felt like far too long. Anna's insides clenched tight with an unnamed shame.

Beth saw that her friend was trembling."Well," she said, briskly. "Now you know. What next?"

Aro smiled, but he looked more like a feral dog, baring his teeth. Ready to attack.

"It seems… we have a vampire to hunt for."

* * *

It was decided then; the Volturi agreed to help find Darius. However, both Anna and Beth had a sneaking suspicion it was only to gain what pride they had unknowingly handed to him on a platter, rather than for the sake of their wellbeing.

_They're helping us, and that's all that matters, _Beth thought.

Still, she had been greatly chagrined when Aro had charged _Jane _of all people, to lead them to the rooms that would be theirs, for the time being.

The girl took them out of the hall and up a flight of stairs, which were as stony as her silence. Anna preferred it; it allowed her time to think. But Beth only felt the restless need to fill it, even if it meant she would piss off Jane with her incessant babbling.

_Heck, if I _didn't_ say anything I'd still probably end up pissing off that obnoxious little brat._

She leaned in to whisper in Anna's ear. "I preferred Demetri as our guide."

Anna just smiled in consensus.

As they ascended a second flight, the world around them came further into focus. The many corridors of the Volturi's home were made of a dirty, peach-coloured stone, smoothed down, to resemble a less pure marble.

Then they passed a library, and Anna suddenly stopped in her tracks, with a gasp. In the abominable silence, it sounded as harsh as a rock being scraped across metal.

"Whoa," Beth murmured, peering inside appreciatively. "Dibs on this room, I think."

But Jane appeared not to have noticed, which forced the girls to continue walking. Neither of them fancied getting lost in such a large building.

"You're library," Anna was saying to Jane, in a breathless whisper. "It's…it's so _big_!"

Jane laughed, and it was like a freezing waterfall running down their necks. Cold and mocking.

"That's just the first one."

"There's _more_?"

"Holy shit!" Beth cried. A little too loudly.

"Are you finished?" Jane asked, testily. "Aro wished for me to show you to your rooms; I intend to do so – and that is all."

"Fine," Beth said, grumpily. "How much further do we have to go?"

"Not far. Thank goodness."

_Charming, _she thought._ But at least we've found some place to keep us occupied here…_

The sun shone high and proud through the sparse windows, and Anna sighed with relief to see it. She had grown tired of dark corridors filled with foreboding shadows that seemed to stir and move in her peripheral vision.

"Who lives on this floor?" she asked Jane, too curious to stay mute anymore.

"Guests."

"Oh… how many do you have?"

Jane looked at them, with a strange smile. "None."

Whatever _that _meant, it sent a collective shiver down their spines.

_Creepy kid is right, _Beth thought, with a grimace.

When they reached their floor, they saw there were six rooms to choose from, but Jane stopped between the first and second of the doors. The others appeared to be locked shut.

"Why are these rooms closed?"

Jane appeared not to hear. "This is where I leave you," she said instead.

"Oh," Anna said, a little annoyed. "Well, thank you."

"Er, yeah," Beth added. "Ditto – oh,"

Jane had already walked away.

Anna chuckled. "She really _was _true to her word."

She was relieved to see the girl leave.

With a deep breath in, she turned to face the door to her room, the one closest to the stairs. Each of them was made of pale wood, maybe cedar, or beech, with a golden door-knob.

"Well, here goes nothing," Beth said for the second time. This time, she was grinning, excitement bubbling in her stomach.

Anna twisted the door-knob, and –

"Oh my goodness!"

Her room was too elegant, too _huge _for her taste, and like almost everything about the Volturi's headquarters, it was all about marble and heavy, expensive fabrics.

_Almost like its inhabitants, _she thought, wryly, and dared to take a step inside.

In the centre, there was a vast, four-poster bed and she saw – with some bemusement – it could quite happily fit _four _Annas in there. It swallowed up at least half of the room, complete with matching pale blue curtains tied back with golden ropes, and a medley of plush, silken cushions. A tall mirror stood on its left, and – ah! – There was an en suite bathroom. A wardrobe the size of a small car was on the right, nearest the door, and an even more impressive chandelier dominated the ceiling. It sparkled like a huge cobweb on a dewy morning, but that wasn't what caught Anna's attention the most.

She beamed.

"I have a balcony!"

"Me too," came Beth's reply next door. "Wow, this room is _amazing_!"

Shrouded with a veil of net curtain, she practically _ran _to it to drink in the view beyond.

It was beautiful, of course. A sea of dusty, terracotta roofs, glowing yellow in the bright sunshine. A light ribbon of breeze wove its way through the city streets that still hissed with distant voices.

"What colour is your bed?" Beth asked, from behind her. "Ah, blue. Mine's green."

"Hmm."

Looking out onto the world like this, she could already feel her stressed mind begin to relax, like a taut spring slowly being released. Meeting new people always made her anxious; never mind if they were as gifted as the Volturi.

The aching tingle in her palms had mercifully quietened down for now, yet she knew if she saw Aro again, it would return with cheery maliciousness, tempting her.

_Hello, me again! Did ya miss me? No? Well, just thought I'd remind you about this one here. Hm… he's a powerful one, in' he? Bet you'd like to know what he can do, eh? Well, go on then! I dare you to! Go on, go on!_

Anna remembered a time where she couldn't even brush fingers with a talented vampire, without succumbing to that yearning _pull_ that made her feel so detached from herself.

It had taken her some time to discipline it, but that had hardly been a problem. One of the perks of being immortal meant she had all the time _in the world_ at her disposal.

She remembered the moment of Archimedean proportion that had struck her one night, when she was barely a year old. Antoine had bought a house in Italy, and at her request, he had supplied her with a vast library to keep her amused…yet she had been unnerved by the strange, constant whispering that would surround her every time she visited, and these detached voices would only grow louder when she touched the spines of the books.

They would ring like a church choir in her mind. The newer books had voices that were cool and clear in her mind, but the old books, often bound in different shades of coloured leather, hummed with the solemn murmurings of the dead and long-departed. But what did they mean?

It was only when she had heard the familiar words of a childhood favourite, did she discover what they really were.

_Oh…! _

It was so obvious! Her gift _also_ had the ability to absorb the information, hidden within the pages of her beloved books! Anna's hands only had to glide across the covers, for her to hear the words resonate in her mind.

Inspired, she had begun to exercise the part that opened itself to them. She would imagine a door of sheer metal, bolted shut against the voices, and soon, the image became almost second nature to her, as natural as removing a book-mark from the page, before reading with eyes, rather than mind.

But, stopping her gift (_curse_) from having its way with other people… that had been much more of a challenge. In a way, it was as simple as telling a child not to touch anything in an antique shop – but that didn't necessarily mean they would listen and behave.

She'd required much more than a _door_ to keep such slippery demons as Beth's glamour, from stealing its way into her skin. It required restraint and a firm grip, almost like taming a wild stallion, and Beth had been more than happy to help her.

Days would pass in a startling blur, with the workout of her encouraging Anna to "rein it in", while Anna held on tightly to her invisible hand. Her brain seemed to clench up tight as a fist, as she'd commanded her power to back down.

Even now, Anna knew it still wasn't completely obedient, but it was certainly better than it had been before she had left Antoine's coven. She could now hold onto Beth's hand without feeling the pull, unless she was taken by surprise, like the incident back in the French mountains.

But she wasn't so sure she was strong enough to resist Aro's gift. She assumed by his reaction, after touching Beth's hand, that he had somehow sifted through her memories, like a miner looking for gold. It made her wonder how much he had seen…

_And if I were to touch his hand, what would I_ _see? _

She gulped. No. She didn't want to think about that. The very idea of reading the memories of a man (who had to be _centuries_ old by now), with the job of dispatching badly-behaved vampires, was perhaps a little too much for her to cope with.

"Hello? Earth to Anna, come in, Anna!"

Beth was waving a hand in front of her face, and she blinked, roused out of her trance.

"Hm?"

Beth rolled her eyes, but she laughed. "I thought you'd left the planet for a second there."

Anna shook herself. The world outside of her balcony had descended into dim shadow, as the sun hid itself away behind a cloud.

She sighed. "Sorry, Beth. I did not mean to scare you."

"Doesn't matter. What were you thinking about?"

Looking out onto the view, with her arms leaning against the balcony wall, she hunched her shoulders. "I was thinking…how much do you suppose Aro saw in your mind?"

"Dunno." Beth came to her side, matching her stance. "Enough to know that Darius is a slippery bastard who can't be trusted."

"Hm." Anna smiled, amused by her friend's unique way of putting things.

Beth could tell there was more she wanted to say, but chose not to ask further.

"We should get unpacked," she said instead, and Anna smiled, glad of the kind distraction from her brooding.

* * *

**Aha! Further light has been shed on Anna's gift, eh? What do you think of it? I kind of got my inspiration from Rogue, from _X-men. _She can't touch anyone for fear of stealing their life-force/power, but I decided to take Anna's power one step further to make it more original. Plus, Anna's got enough angst inside her, without worrying about accidentally killing people simply by bumping into them, so I just kept her power in her hands.**

**Reviews please! :D**


	4. Chapter 4: For the dead travel fast

**Hello again! Thanks for all the lovely feedback!**

**So in regards to this chapter, I thought it was about time to see what Darius was up to. He's a nasty piece of work, I must say!**

**The chapter's title comes from a (rather excellent) quote from Bram Stoker's 'Dracula'. Ooh, it gives me tingles to hear it aloud.**

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OCs. **

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**Chapter 4:**

**For the dead travel fast**

On the dusty road to Volterra, Darius was heading their way.

He had been keeping a close watch on Anna and Beth, ever since those Volturi _sciocchi _had disposed of the remains of his coven so nicely.

Oh, he had wanted them to find him then – especially _Beth_, just to see the look on her face when he tore her limb from limb… but no. Anna would have expected that, and would have fought back. Then he would be in trouble.

So, he'd thought they would go back to Dartmoor (_why Dartmoor? _He had no idea. That red-haired _cunt's_ mind was infuriatingly difficult to decipher at times), to regroup and mourn the loss of their family.

But they hadn't. Instead, they'd gone to the nearest airport, and had boarded a plane to Italy. It was too coincidental for him to ignore.

_Italy…. Volterra. _They'd overheard everything all right. Aro had unwittingly rumbled him.

So, here he was, driving across a flat stretch of road, in a gorgeous model that was black and panther-like. He had the window down, so he could catch the scents that were being carried in the air. Most of them were human, obviously, but his keen sense of smell honed in on the ones he was searching for.

Something like cinnamon; it was spicy and unpredictable, but the animal blood overpowered it completely, making him gag. It was Beth's scent, and she had been up here recently.

_Traitorous little _cunt!

Then there was the other scent in the air. It was faint, but he could still taste its fruity and exotic sweetness. He found it incredibly arousing.

_Anna... _He thought, stupidly.

Ever since meeting her almost a century ago, Darius had wanted her. It was as pure and simple as knowing of the pulling force of gravity. As Antoine's venom had consumed her from the inside, he had placed her gently on his unused bed, watching her thrash violently around.

Amazingly, she'd never screamed, only allowing a few quiet mewls to escape her perfect mouth. She was dignified, even then. Oh, he had felt the first sparks of lust ignite in his long-dead soul that night, long before the Change had done its duty of transforming her. If Edward Cullen had been there that night, he would have been absolutely disgusted by the thoughts in Darius' mind.

He had been sad to see those blue eyes and beguilingly pink cheeks go, but the end result had been worth that little compromise.

_But she did not notice _me_._

Not at first, anyway. Despite taking to hunting with (albeit rather reluctant) zeal, she had still yearned for…_him. _Darius couldn't remember the human's name, nor did he care. Like most of the humans from her time, _he_ was food for the worms now. She'd made sure of that.

Well, what had she _expected_? That her new-born thirst would simply _vanish_ in the presence of her little lover? Of course not! The thought made him laugh out loud. Foolish girl.

Darius recalled how she had asked – no, _begged _– to see the human, just a day after her transformation. Antoine had refused her, of course, stating quite adamantly she could no longer know him, now she was vampire.

Oh, how she had sobbed! Her beauty had stunned Darius, even then. She had looked like a weeping angel, mourning her tragic fall from the heavens.

_Then she ran away._

It was to be the last time she left Antoine's side, before Beth joined the coven.

Frustrated, Anna had gone to see her lover in the dead of night, to avoid too much alarm. Her family had believed she had perished in the fire Antoine had started in her house; no body had been found when the fire had eventually been put out. No evidence. Case closed.

They'd given her a beautiful funeral; Darius had watched it himself. He'd seen her lover, barely in his twenties, weeping silent tears of regret and heartbreak.

But in her new-born thirst, she had been unable to control herself, and so had killed him. Pitifully predictable.

What was it Beth had so melodramatically said? Something inside her died with him that night.

_Women. Always so driven by their emotions, _Darius scoffed aloud.

Still, it explained why Anna was always so frigid towards his advances. Instead, she would purposely distance herself against him; chide him like a petulant child over his methods of hunting, calling him abhorrent.

_He_ saw nothing wrong with giving the prostitutes he hunted some kind of pleasure before death, yet her anger towards him did not dilute his lust for her at all. If anything, it made it stronger.

Once Beth was out of the way, Anna would come to him. Oh, yes. She couldn't stand the idea of being on her own, for some reason. He didn't care why, just that she would give in and fall into his arms, like a woman always should when in the presence of a dominant man.

_She shall be mine._

So with a fresh (albeit uncomfortable) dose of fierce desire building inside him, Darius went on his way into the city of Volterra.

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**Ugh, he is repulsive, isn't he? What do you think? Review!**

_**Sciocchi **_**translation - Italian for 'fools'**


	5. Chapter 5: Every dark inch of me

**Hello, again! Here's a hearty high-five for the people now following my story, and those who have given me such sweet reviews. Love you guys! :D **

**LookAliveSunshine03**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OCs.**

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**Chapter 5****:**

**Every dark inch of me**

Back in the marble hall, the Volturi were in deep, heated discussion. Any ordinary human stupid enough to eavesdrop on them would have had difficulty understanding what they were saying, for they spoke in fast, rapid murmurings that sounded closer to a buzzing swarm of bumble bees than actual voices – but the suicidal human would definitely have picked up on one thing.

They were all furious.

They – _the vampire equivalent of the Royal Family _– had been fooled; _taken_ _advantage_ of, by a vampire with an ego that was undoubtedly bigger than all of theirs put together. It was unacceptable, and needed to be remedied. Fast.

And so it would be. Aro already had a plan. A plan involving Anna.

"Tuono spoke the truth about her," he said now. "She is special indeed."

"What is her talent?" Marcus asked.

When he told them, he saw Caius' mouth curl with dark amusement.

"So _that _is why you did not read her mind," he murmured. "You fear her."

Aro smiled, impervious to his brother's obvious attempt at winding him up. "I cannot deny I am…wary of her power. Nevertheless, from the memories of her companion I understand she has control over it – and she _will_ use it on Tuono."

"You want her to join us," Marcus concluded, and Aro nodded.

"But first, we must gain her trust."

"Naturally."

Caius' teeth flashed in a blood-thirsty grin. "We find Tuono. Rip him to pieces. Then make our proposition."

"But what of the other girl? Elizabeth?" Marcus wondered.

Aro had already considered this. The yellow-eyed girl still regarded them with suspicion, even after they had agreed to help her. He had seen that in the dark look she gave them, before Jane took them to their rooms. Nonetheless, Aro knew that once they destroyed Tuono– which they _would _– Elizabeth would probably change her mind. And yet…those eyes were a problem.

"She would not wish to be one of us," Aro muttered, almost to himself. "She is too different… and her gift is of no use to us." He sighed. "But she will object to her friend joining our coven."

"So we dispatch her too," Caius said, without hesitation.

Aro shook his head. "No."

"Their relationship is a strong one," Marcus explained. "They consider themselves almost like family."

Caius snorted.

"And Anna is…fragile," Aro went on, ignoring him. "I did not linger in Elizabeth's memories for long, though I saw enough to understand that Anna has suffered a great deal."

"Haven't we all?"

Aro sighed. The memory of Anna curled into a protective, foetal position pressed urgently against his brain, like a dull migraine. He hadn't had one of _those_ for at least a millenia. "Disposing of Elizabeth would only cause her further suffering, and would _not_ help us in gaining her trust."

Caius huffed, sulkily. "So be it. We do not kill the odd one, but… I do not trust her. She looks" – his mouth thinned uncomfortably – "too similar to the Cullens for my liking."

Aro, who understood completely, chuckled.

* * *

Anna exhaled steadily through her nose. She had completed all the jobs she needed to do – with enough time to sketch the magnificent view outside her balcony – but that still didn't satisfy her. She had what Beth would call "itchy feet". Standing up from her bed, she stretched, her fingers splayed to touch the ceiling.

Hearing her leave, Beth peered round her door and grinned. "Knew you couldn't sit still for long."

Anna could just catch the opening guitar riff of a classic rock song, coming from the ear phone that wasn't in Beth's ear. She was easier to keep amused. "I'm going to have a look around."

"Want me to come with you?"

Anna shook her head, gently. "No, thank you."

"'Kay. Don't get lost." Beth's grin widened, Cheshire Cat-style.

"I shall try." She smiled. "See you later."

Descending the stairs, Anna felt the late afternoon sunshine bathe her in cheerful warmth. She sighed, watching how it bounced off her skin in tiny shards of impossible diamond for a moment, before carrying on. No matter how long she had been a vampire, their strange beauty never failed to mesmerize her.

But the further down she went, the gloomier she became, as the sun quickly faded from her view, until disappearing completely. Her lungs tightened with an irrational, childlike fear, when the darkness came over her, like a wall-less cave.

_You are a grown woman_, she scolded herself. _Get a hold of yourself._

She knew exactly where she wanted to go. She could practically _hear _the voices of the books, muttering their secrets in the library downstairs.

_Perhaps I shall look for the _other_ libraries as well? _The thought brought a rare, brilliant smile to her face. It was the smile of a book-worm about to land slap-bang in her element.

Strangely, she did not meet any of the Volturi guard on the way, which she thought was a little disconcerting, because she felt like she was being watched.

And she was.

The conference between the Volturi had come to a satisfying end. Aro had been coming up the stairs, to get to his study, when he caught her entering their biggest library.

The first thing he noticed was she had discarded her jacket, something which he was quietly glad about. It had been an ugly, unflattering thing, despite being ideal for walking undetected amongst the humans. In the dim light of the hallway, he saw she wore a fitted, cool blue blouse which hugged her curves tastefully, and a matching pair of silken gloves.

Strange as that was, it wasn't what had captured his attention the most. A secretive smile played across her lips, giving her look of a young girl about to do something indulgent or perhaps very mischievous.

_I shall like to see this, _he thought, and he followed Anna inside.

This library was about the size of the average football stadium, making it one of the vastest rooms in his extravagant home. Every wall was decorated with a patchwork of alphabetised bookcases stretching as high as the ceiling, filled to bursting with those of all shapes and sizes. Varnished desks and comfortable love-seats of the deepest shades of red were scattered around, almost completely covering the enormous mosaic of the Volturi crest that had been pressed carefully into the floor.

It was one of Aro's most favourite places to be – and it now appeared he was not the only one.

He watched, silently, as Anna walked into the slanted beams of sunshine blazing down, like a spotlight, from the ceiling. Her bare arms sparkled at her sides, and her shoulders seemed to relax instantly. He heard a sigh escape her.

_Fascinating, _he thought. _The sunlight is… soothing to her._

Suddenly, her body became rigid, and Anna spun round.

"Aro," she said, without surprise. "I knew it was you."

Aro raised his eyebrows. "Did you?"

"Yes, sir. Your…gift," she swallowed, smiling with little humour. "It helps to tell me when I am being followed, but… you know that already, don't you?"

Aro nodded, chuckling at her directness. "Indeed."

"Then you do not need to read _my_ mind."

It was a blunt statement. She was scrutinising his hands with the eyes of a spheksophobic in the presence of a gigantic wasps' nest.

"Not without your consent, my dear," he replied, gently. "As my guest, I do not wish to distress you. Come, sit."

And with a _swoosh _of air, he was sat on the nearest love-seat, crossing his legs. He patted the space beside him.

"Please. Sit."

Anna let go of the breath she hadn't known she had been holding.

_You do not wish to distress me? It isn't working._

But, feeling she didn't have much of a choice in the matter, she sat, perching herself as far from him as possible without making her discomfort obvious. At such close proximity to him, she was incredibly glad she had chosen to wear her gloves again.

_This is _exactly _what I do not want to be doing._

Nevertheless, she spoke to him with warm politeness. "Thank you, sir," she glanced sheepishly down at her gloved hands. "Forgive me for wearing such unusual attire, for your home climate, but my ability is not as controlled as I would like it to be."

"Not at all!" Aro said, waving a flippant hand. "You hold great restraint over a gift so powerful. Any other being would want to use it at any opportunity."

Anna frowned. "I wouldn't call it a gift as such."

Aro looked surprised. "Oh, no?"

"No," she answered quietly, staring down at her lap.

When she did not say more, Aro prompted her, "Why?"

_Damaged goods, _a memory of Beth's thoughts whispered in his mind. How very true…but _why?_

He longed to read her mind, to see past the painful shyness that locked her up tight, like a door made of the strongest metal. What had caused her such sorrow to make her body bend so? She sat beside him now, her small shoulders somehow tense, yet slumped at the same time.

"Can you not tell?" she said, at last. "It does not matter if I use it. Even with these gloves on, it still hurts me to be so close to you."

"How does it feel?"

Anna looked at him, her doe eyes bleak. "Now? Like an itch I cannot scratch. Without my gloves, it would be like holding rusty pins in each hand."

"Then how do you endure it? Why don't you let yourself…" He paused. "Go?"

Her eyes flashed up in shock. "You mean _use _it on you?" she shook her head, hard and fast, horrified. "No! Absolutely not!"

"Why not?"

Anna stared at him, incredulous. "With all due respect, sir, _you_ may not be able to control what you do and do not see in a person's mind, but I will not use my power simply to stop the pain! That would be – would be" – she shook her head in disgust – "narcissistic and cruel! I –"

"Peace, Anna dear. I did not wish to alarm you," Aro interrupted, quickly, soothing her like a terrified rabbit trying to escape from the one springing it from the hunter's snare. "I only wished to know that you would not betray us, after asking for the assistance of my family. Forgive me."

She was visibly trembling, though with fear or indignant passion, he knew not. Swallowing, she said, "You are forgiven, s-sir, but…please… do not ask that of me again."

"You have my word," he said, bowing his head sincerely. "You have a good heart, _mia cara_."

She blinked, surprised. "Do I, sir?" Then she gave him a thin smile of grim amusement. "Did you assume I would be like Tuono?"

He chuckled, despite himself. "Of course not. But it _would_ be of great help to me if I read your mind."

Anna sighed. "Yes, I'm sure it will."

"Will you permit me?"

She inhaled slowly, anxiously plucking at the cuffs of her gloves. "Only… if you do not touch my hands."

Aro smiled in triumph. "Of course."

He approached her slowly, as if she was a wild, skittish horse, about to bolt, reaching out and placing his hand gently on the crook of her elbow.

Almost as soon as his fingers brushed her skin, her memories cascaded into him. She visibly stiffened, but did not jerk away.

Her mind was as complicated as he had hoped; a glorious labyrinth of shadow and light, bouncing around like the reflections of a crystal.

_Remarkable…_

A brief flash of a human memory, dull and faded like an old photograph. She stood beside a tall mirror of gilded ivory, worrying rosebud lips with her teeth, at her reflection.

_I…look …absurd…_

It was untrue, of course. Dressed in frilled, pale blue silk, her tanned skin stood out starkly, and her hair had been pulled neatly up into the kind of style popular in the early twentieth century.

Such a shy little thing, so uncomfortable in her own skin! It was not surprising she had trapped the attention of Antoine Jean, especially with those temptingly rosy cheeks. She had had blue eyes then, like a little kitten's, but she had certainly put up an admirable fight before he bit her.

The flames of hellish venom. Then –

_Such heart-break…such loss._

A man in the moonlight, with blonde hair and eyes as green as spring grass. His blood ran like ambrosia fire down her throat in her memory, turned sour with the bile-like horror of what she had done.

_"__I killed him Beth. I MURDERED him."_

_Tom…Tom…Tom..._

The name _sang _in malicious rapture in her dead, shattered heart, over and over again like a religious chant, and it tore her up inside. He could _feel _it, as if it were his own pain.

Seeing Aro's face, Anna tried not to pull away. His brow was deeply puckered, and his eyes were glazed over, witnessing her spiralling depression, like a woeful piece of film. She tried to block his sympathetic gaze out. It made her ache with unhappiness.

_Please…stop. _

Her voice (so quiet, even in her mind) was gentle, but cautionary, and things became purposely unclear here, with inky shadow splashed here and there, obscuring some more painful memories.

He understood, and (reluctantly) passed them by, heading further into her thoughts. Though he was suddenly even more painfully curious about this girl, he had always taken pride in himself in being nothing but the perfect gentleman. Probing into memories she blatantly wished to keep hidden would no doubt distress her, and he didn't want that.

He wanted her to trust him, maybe join him…_then_ he would maybe delve further in.

So Aro watched her discover the extent of her new power, and begin to discipline it. Her will was strong, using it to calm her misery. He admired that, especially when she only ever used it to take on that masochistic thug, _single-handedly._

_Such tenacity! _He thought, with some delight.

Her memories of Tuono were dark, full of anger and repugnance, as he had his way with the human women he hunted.

Well, Tuono had definitely not shown him _this_ side to his personality! Elizabeth had been right: he _was_ relentless, and very, very cunning.

_"__We hunt… because we must. We take what we need to survive. We do not – not – satisfy _other_ appetites we may have, at the expense of human dignity!"_

His power made him this way, Aro realised. It made him sadistic. And it would only be a matter of time before he truly stepped over the line.

_He is a liability._

Anna was watching Aro with uncomfortable curiousity. Her power seemed to protest over being neglected. It _wanted _to be used, and that scared her.

_No._

Aro could feel it too; could feel it _yearning _to pull him in, like a beautiful black hole. Yet at her command, it obediently withdrew.

Still skimming through her mind, like a pebble across a vast lake, he caught a familiar face.

Long, brown hair draped over his shoulders, an immaculate moustache with a light dusting of stubble drew the eye immediately to his perfect jaw line, and his intelligent mouth. Oh yes, Aro knew him incredibly well.

Antoine Jean.

He'd always had quite the eye for ugly ducklings, and Aro was deeply sorry that his friend had to die the way he did. Still, there was no use in dwelling on it now. He had a duty to avenge his death – and so he would.

He lifted his hand away from Anna's arm, and her frozen posture thawed visibly.

"Thank you, Anna," he said, solemnly.

She swallowed. "I'm…glad to be of service." A pause. "What will you do now?"

Aro smiled. Straight to business. He liked that. "That's a good question, my dear. Do you have anything of Tuono's, or perhaps something that carries a trace of his scent?"

Something like fear flashed as quickly as a blink across her face. "Yes, I do."

"Excellent. We shall need it to track him."

She swallowed again, nervously, and got her feet. "I shall go and get it now, sir."

Aro chuckled, low in his throat. "You do not have to call me 'sir', my dear. Aro is perfectly adequate."

"Are you…sure? Beth and I came to you for help, it _"

"Not at all. My family are at your service, are we not? We will assist you in finding Tuono."

_But what then? _Anna wondered, but did not voice it aloud.

"Alright…Aro." It sounded wrong and much too _intimate _for her taste, but she would use it if it pleased him.

And he beamed. "Good. I shall wait for your return."

She was gone in a heart beat. Running up the stairs, her mind reeled at what had happened.

_I let him read my mind…now he knows every dark inch of me._

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**Woo, I really enjoyed writing this chapter...and it's only going to get better! Reviews, kay?**


	6. Chapter 6: Magpies and bloodhounds

**Phew! Sorry for the wait, but you have no idea how many job applications I've been filling in these last few days, and then I was struck by the dreaded writer's block for a while - but it's OK! I've finished all I had to do, and here is chapter 6 is here!**

**Expect a nerdy, superhero reference, surprises in store and tempers to rise...**

**LookAliveSunshine03 **

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**Chapter 6:**

**Magpies and bloodhounds**

Anna knew exactly what she was looking for. With her mind still buzzing from her encounter with Aro, she dashed into her room.

She was so caught up in what she was doing, when Beth laughed next door, she nearly jumped about a foot in the air.

"Did you run out of books to read already?"

"Not yet!" She called back, through a forced smile to give her more of a happy tone in her voice. Her backpack. That was what she needed; it was in there.

She was immensely thankful she hadn't thrown it away, after all. It was a beautiful thing, made from her favourite shade of ice-blue fabric, with silver and gold thread stitched into elaborate swirls and intricate flowers, with soft tassels at the ends.

The reason why she had considered getting rid of it…well, like almost everything associated with Darius Tuono, it held a bad, malicious memory.

The scarf had been a surprisingly thoughtful gift from him in their brief spell in Paris, a few months had been delighted by it, yet suspected there was more to the gift, than a simple act of kindness. How right she had been. The next night, her perception of Darius changed forever.

That night, he had tried to force himself on her.

She'd stopped him without difficulty, of course, but his violent actions shook her to her very core. Before that night, she had believed Tuono to only be a little attracted to her, though that in itself had filled her with revulsion.

Giving herself a slight shake, Anna resurfaced out of her memories and unzipped the secret compartment at the bottom of her empty backpack. Since that night, she had vowed never to wear the scarf again, hiding it in the bag it came in. She knew it still stank of Darius, and that was just what she needed right now.

"What are you looking for?" Beth's voice called behind her, as she lifted it out.

Turning around, she saw Beth leaning against the doorway of her room. Her friend's eyebrows disappeared up into her fringe, with surprise.

"Is that what I think it is?"

Anna nodded, and tucked the rolled up bag under her arm, ready to go. "I'm giving it to Aro."

Down came the eyebrows. "Erm…why? As pretty as he is, I don't think he's the sort to collect silken scarves, Anna."

Anna rolled her eyes. "It's not _for _him, silly." She took it out, and gave it to her. "Smell it."

Beth did, and was quick to recoil, wrinkling her nose at the pungent muskiness of Darius. "Oh, right – urgh, I get it now. Aro wants the scent."

"Correct," Anna smiled. "Would you like to accompany me to the library? He's there, waiting for me."

Beth clearly didn't like the sound of that. She gave her a funny look. "_Is _he now?"

"Yes," Anna said, taking the scarf back. "Shall we?"

And she side-stepped Beth without another word, hurrying down to her new…friend.

_My spidey-sense is tingling, _thought Beth, dryly.

When she caught up with Anna on the stairs, she launched into her interrogation. "Did Aro force you to let him read your mind?"

In the dim light of the stairway, Anna's eyes flashed in surprise. "No! He was quite the gentleman, as you experienced."

"Yeah…but he _did_ read your mind?" she pushed, as they walked.

"Yes."

_What?! _It was like a whiplash to Beth's brain. She knew only too well how terrified Anna was about accidentally using her special ability. That awful lack of control. "But your power, it – it didn't_?"

"No." The relief was blatant in Anna's voice. "He didn't touch my hands."

Beth nodded. "Good. Except this means…" she grimaced at the sudden realisation. "He knows everythingabout us."

"Yes," Anna winced, clearly thinking along the same lines.

Because as much as they knew about each other, neither knew _everything_ – and now here was Aro, the man more foe than friend to them, had learnt it all in a _single touch_ of his hand. The thought made her feel…violated. Yes, that was the word; when they saw him again, it would be hard for Beth to look him in the eye, and not selfishly wonder what he thought of her now.

_What about Anna?_

Behind her fringe, she looked out at her friend, quiet and deep in thought as usual. You wouldn't know that a turgid storm of misery raged, relentlessly inside her.

_How does she hide it?_

Her strength of mind could probably surpass even the physical might of Darius and Felix put together. Beth wondered for the umpteenth time what someone as proud and power-hungry as Aro thought of her.

_Forget her special ability! She must have astounded him with that _iron will_ of hers._

They found Aro sitting in the same place where Anna had left him, now with a large, open tome balanced on his lap. Upon hearing them arrive, he glanced up, with his hand poised to turn the next gold-embossed page, and smiled.

"Ah, Anna! Good. You have returned." He closed it with a resounding thud, and moved it aside like it weighed no more than a pocket book. "And I see Elizabeth decided to join us. Wonderful!" He turned his thousand killer-watt smile towards her. "I trust your room is comfortable, my dear?"

"Oh, they are, thank you," Beth replied, coolly. Any person who consistently addressed her as _Elizabeth_ did not deserve her usual, casual warmth.

He appeared to not notice. "Good. I am glad."

"Aro," Anna stepped forward. She recognised Beth's hostility at once, and stepped forward before more could be said. "I have the item you asked for."

"Oh, marvellous!" Aro leapt to his feet, beaming. "Demetri was beginning to lose patience."

_Demetri? _Beth scowled. _Oh, fabulous…_

Demetri stood a little way from Aro, but at the sound of his name, he came to stand beside him, with his hands behind his back.

_Good doggie, _she thought, and bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself smirking.

"You are the tracker?" Anna asked Demetri. Her palms' incessant prickling had only increased – if that was even possible, in the presence of Aro – when he'd stepped into her sensory radius.

He bowed his head curtly in response. "I am, _signora_. May I have the item?"

When she gave him the bag, Demetri took the scarf out, and pressed it to his nose, inhaling deeply.

_Aha, _Beth thought, pleasantly surprised. _The Volturi bloodhound. Oh, yes, _very _good doggie!_

"Such a beautiful scarf," Aro remarked, quietly. "Is it yours, Anna, my dear?"

_What a stupid question_. _He must know _that_ from her memories!_

"Yes. It was a gift from… him," Anna replied, tearing her eyes away from Demetri long enough to look at him.

"I see. Demetri," he asked, placing a hand on his servant's arm. "What does our infamous friend's scent tell you?"

Demetri paused, and Beth could almost see his intelligent mind clicking away. He spoke aloud for the girls' benefit. "He is coming to us, Master. He smells of anger and…death." And his eyes flashed to Beth.

"He's coming to us," Aro murmured, a dark look crossing his handsome face. "His arrogance truly knows no bounds if he thinks he can outsmart us again."

Beth grunted. "You can say that again." But she was unnaturally quiet. Afraid.

"Where is he?" Anna almost growled at Demetri. Her usual, calm and collected demeanour seemed to melt with a fresh, hot wave of her fury. How _dare _he even consider causing harm to Beth? She was completely and utterly innocent.

_I would rather give myself up to him than have him hurt her._

It was safe to say Demetri looked a little abashed to be addressed in such a way by a guest. His brow furrowed before he spoke, but his voice was firm and confident. Darius had reached the city, he said, abandoning himself in his hired car, far away from the humans, to wait until the sun sank low enough for him to make a move – without being compromised by his thirst.

"The sun sets at 22:00 hours," he concluded.

"Thank you, Demetri," Aro said, and he bowed, politely.

"So…now we know where he is," Beth muttered. "Let's go get him."

"Not yet, Beth." Anna looked at her friend, sharply. "The sun is still too high, and more than two people hiding their skin will draw too many eyes. You know that."

"So – what? We're just going to sit and _wait _for him to come to us?"

"No, Elizabeth," Aro interrupted. His voice of reason was cold, verging on arctic in temperature. "You must consider the other, more important matters here, other than your own feelings. You are anxious; I understand. But if you let it rule your mind, you are putting us at risk of exposure."

Beth's face clouded over in a look that seemed to almost _crackle_ with thunder. She had never been spoken to like that before…but even Anna had to admit, Aro had a point.

"Don't patronise me, Aro," Beth hissed. "You do not have to worry about _me _exposing us. _I'm _not the one forcing myself on humans, for my own sadistic pleasure. Or have you forgotten?"

Demetri growled, low in his throat. "You overstep yourself, yellow eyes."

"Enough," Aro said, before Beth could bite back. Anna looked ready to go as well, after _that_ unnecessary little remark. "Let us not waste time in petty argument. If Tuono wishes to come here, so be it. We will ensure he will regret it."

"How?" Beth sneered. She was bruised by his words before, and burned with the childish need to wound him with her own. "Darius' gift is no match for you. You didn't even knowhe _had_ a gift, until I pointed it out to you!"

"Enough, Beth," Anna murmured, closing her eyes wearily.

"No! If they're gonna add themselves to Darius' 'People I've Killed' list, I don't fucking care," she snarled. "I _told _you we could take care of him ourselves – and now here we are procrastinating!"

"Beth –"

But she was already heading out of the door. "No. I'm out of here."

They all heard the tell-tale tremble in her voice, as she stormed out.

The silence that followed rang in Anna's ears. She suddenly felt the need to apologise to Aro, despite having nothing to apologise for. She'd never seen Beth act like that before; she was always such a down-to-earth person – until fear invaded, apparently.

"Well," Aro said, with a sigh. "Thank you, Demetri. You may retire."

"With pleasure," his servant replied.

He passed her scarf back, and she saw – with great dislike – he was actually smirking. Oh, so he thought Beth's fear rather amusing and juvenile, did he? She wasn't the one who had insulted _his_ eyes.

When he left, Aro returned to his seat, and was now watching her closely. Under his gaze, that strange sense of being caught in a spotlight came over her.

"I must apologise for Demetri's treatment of your friend," he said, at last, softly. "It was incredibly rude of him."

She hadn't expected that, but she covered her surprise quickly. "Yes, it was. Is he always… like that?"

"Only in the presence of people like her."

Anna frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Your friend is not the only vampire with distaste for human blood, Anna," Aro replied, and he gave a wan smile.

"So… that's a viable excuse to treat her with disrespect, is it?"

"Of course not," he replied, impatiently. "But you must understand our experiences with the vegetarians have not been entirely… agreeable."

"So you assume she will be the same?" Anna said, a little incredulously. "Such prejudice for people who drink animal blood! You should be ashamed of yourself, for being so small-minded."

There she tried to cut herself off, but of course, it was too late. She'd said her piece, and most likely, said too much. Oh, Lord, an ungrateful, passionate guest!

She swallowed, as Aro frowned at her. Slowly getting to his feet, she imagined him to be like a deadly snake, coiling up, and ready to strike; she held her ground, and quashed the instinct to turn tail and flee.

"Do you think so?" he whispered, stepping towards her. "That I am…small-minded?"

Well, Anna Eden was very rarely a woman to take back anything she had said, and that would not change today. Even if she knew Aro could kill her with a casual flick of his wrist.

But her palms were on _fire_; it only worsened with every step he took. He was advancing on her, like a cat cornering a mouse, but she did not move.

"I do," she replied, feeling the alarm twist in her gut. "I would trust Beth with my life, as you would with your red-eyed coven. The vegetarians are no different to us, despite their diet."

"Is that so?" Aro raised his eyebrows in an elegant curve. This shy, little woman continued to intrigue him all the more. Usually by now, any normal vampire would be quivering and grovelling at his feet, or even running away. Yet, here she was, as rigid and stoic as a soldier… though her eyes had certainly widened a fraction, when he began to come towards her. That was something.

"Are you not afraid, Anna?" he asked, softly.

He watched her throat contract, as she swallowed. "No."

That made him laugh, and her eyes narrowed.

_Arrogance_. _Like Darius._

"I should go and check on Beth," she said, curtly. "Excuse me, Aro."

And before he could say another word, she slipped away.

As soon as she had, she breathed out in a silent rush. Her mind was abuzz with questions. What had just happened? That look in his eye as he'd approached her…she didn't know what it meant. Was he angry at her for speaking to him like that? She didn't blame him, but it was hard to say; he'd looked more puzzled than anything. Hm. Too accustomed to vampires kissing his feet with every step he took, probably...

_Not now, _she thought, firmly. _Find Beth first before dwelling on anything else._

Once again, no other members of the Volturi crossed her path as she walked, but her hands would prickle quietly to themselves every so often.

How many gifted vampires were in the Volturi exactly? Aro, Jane, Demetri…who _else_ was there?

Maybe she would find out in due course.

_Oh! Not yet!_

Well, as nervous as that made her, Anna could not deny she was curious. Aro was like a magpie, attracted to the shiniest of objects, so with vampires like _Jane_ at his disposal…this coven was a treasure trove.

And she was his latest find.


	7. Chapter 7: Sorry seems to be the hardest

**Hello again! So sorry for the long wait. Blame writer's block for that...but I'm back! Yay!**

**OK, this one gives an insight into Aro and Sulpicia (rather unhappy) relationship. The years have certainly not been kind, I can tell you. Oh, and the chapter title is from the song by Elton John, with the same name.**

**So! On with the story! :DX (heehee! He has a bow-tie!)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OC characters...**

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**Chapter 7:**

**Sorry seems to be the hardest word**

_Of course…_

It was so stupidly _obvious_; she didn't know why she hadn't figured it out sooner. It explained why Aro had been treating her so nicely (if a little strangely), and hadn't hurt her just now.

_He wants my gift, _she thought.

Well! That settled it then. As soon as the Volturi got Darius out of the picture, she and Beth would leave as soon as possible. Beth would be happy to hear that. Ha! Aro wouldn't have a chance to even ask her to join him. The nerve of him! Thinking he could win her round by buttering her up, and treating her sweetly.

Yet, as angry as this made her, she couldn't but feel…hurt.

Oh, Lord – distractions, she needed distractions.

Where_ is Beth?_

It wasn't hard to work out. Disposing of her scarf in her room, all she had to do was follow the pounding bass and raging guitar that always seemed to come with Beth's favourite band. She always listened to it when she was in a bad mood, so Anna followed it, like a trail of blood-soaked breadcrumbs.

And she soon found Beth in her room.

In the wardrobe.

"Go away."

She was sat, hunched, in the darkest corner, with her arms wrapped tightly around her legs, staring sullenly down at her sneakers. The music echoed hollowly at full-volume against the wood.

"Not until you tell me why you're in here." Anna reached in to switch down the volume, only to find Beth had locked the screen. "Could you turn it down, please? It's much too loud."

Beth scowled up at her, with dark eyes. "What are you, my mother?" But she obliged, switching it off all together. "Better?"

"Very much so. Now, why are you in here?"

"I needed something hard to punch."

Anna blinked. "Pardon?"

Beth pointed, her eyes flashing with black humour. "Look. I made a hole."

And so she had. Peering round, Anna was surprised to see she had created a jagged window of splintered wood in the wall opposite her. Beth waved rather cheekily to her through it, looking quite pleased with herself.

"May I ask _why _you did this?"

"I'd have thought my running out just now explained that," Beth muttered, quietly. "The Volturi…they're so wrapped in themselves, and their stupid pride, they can't see from our perspective, and it pisses me off."

Anna smiled despite herself. "So I noticed."

"…I made a complete idiot of myself in there, didn't I?" She asked, with a sigh.

"After saying you _don't_ let your emotions get in the way? Yes." Anna extended a hand to help her. "Come on, maybe you can apologise for your behaviour."

Beth made a face. "Yes, mother."

Stuffing her iPod in her trouser-pocket, she let Anna pull her out.

"Shall we?" she said, sarcastically.

They left the room together, glancing curiously along at the doors besides theirs.

Anna wondered aloud. "What do you suppose hides in those rooms?"

Beth tried the one nearest. Funnily enough, it was locked.

She shrugged. "Blood bank?"

"No." Anna shook her head. "We would smell it."

"So…maybe it's Aro's secret dressing-up box?"

Anna looked at her strangely. "I doubt it."

She shrugged, grinning. "You never know! He seems quite the eccentric type."

Anna just laughed. She probably wasn't wrong.

They planned to go back to the library, assuming that Aro was still reading in there – but when they came in, he was nowhere to be seen.

"Ah, well, he's not here," Beth sighed, not even bothering to hide her relief. "_Such_ a shame. Now let's lose ourselves in a book or two – or three – or four, and forget all about it."

"I'm afraid not, Beth," Anna reprimanded, rolling her eyes. "Remember, we are _guests_ here, and must treat the Volturi with respect if they are going to find Darius for us."

"I know," she sighed, impatiently. "– but they're only _really_ doing it to gain your trust, y'know."

"Yes…I do."

Beth nodded, as if that confirmed something. "So where do you think he is now?"

Anna smiled, wryly. "Perhaps I should let these guide us."

And she wiggled her fingers in the air.

Aro was, in fact, sat in his study, writing in his log. It was something he had been doing, daily, since his coven fought the Romanians to victory many, many centuries before. It was a record of their history, but from a personal point of view, writing it allowed him to have some time to himself.

His study was small, cosy, and filled with the comforting smells of leather and books. He breathed it in now, sighing quietly, happily as he wrote.

What had started out to be a fairly ordinary day had developed into something _quite_ riveting. Two women – both strong and bold in character – asking for help in avenging their coven's (regretful) death! He'd always so _loved_ surprises. It beat having to deal with badly-behaved vampires that whimpered and begged to be spared.

…And then there was Anna's gift.

For about the thousandth time, it made him wonder. Why _didn't _she read his mind? Surely she was tempted? He wanted to see her use it. His pen flew across the page in his frustration and excitement:

_She shall use it, once Tuono comes, she will. That I am certain of. The hatred she feels for him is a powerful force, and it will be glorious…like a majestic phoenix, rising out of the ashes of her complicated mind…_

"Aro!"

He sighed, and set down his pen. It felt red-hot against his icy skin. _Later, perhaps. _

Twisting round in his desk chair, he watched Sulpicia enter, dressed in a figure-hugging dress of deepest emerald. She almost seemed to float on the air, like a leaf caught in a summer breeze, and in the golden light of his study, her hair shone in tones of warmest sunshine, flowing free down her back.

Had this been many years previously, seeing her there would have filled him with heated desire…but now, he only felt sadness. Loss. The years had left Sulpicia changed. She'd lost that soft tenderness, and girlish energy that had so enthralled him in the past, but he was still concerned to see she was looking uncharacteristically troubled.

It had been an incredibly long time since he'd seen her brow bend like that.

_Where is Corin?_

"Sulpicia, my love," he stood and returned her outstretched hands. The gentle kiss he gave her was more out of habit, than anything. "You have heard about our guests."

It wasn't a question. He could feel the twinge of suspicion through the all-too familiar maze of her mind.

Sulpicia's expression hardened. "When were you going to tell me about them?" _Who are they? _Why_ are they here?_

Aro sighed, a little wearily. Over the years, he had noticed his mate becoming more and cooler towards him – yet she still wanted to know about _everything _he did. It was almost like she thought he would misbehave, if she didn't check on him.

"They have only just arrived, _il mio amore_," he replied, trying to laugh off her accusatory tone. "They have come to us in need of our services."

Just then, there was a soft wrap at his open door.

"Speak the devil, and he shall appear!" he cried, with a surprised laugh.

"What?" Sulpicia span round to see who he was addressing. "Oh. I see."

Her thoughts were wary and hostile, and she drew herself tightly to him.

Anna and Elizabeth stood there, both looking rather uncomfortable, for different reasons. Anna, clearly not expecting this kind of reception, swallowed; if she were human, she would have been blushing.

So, Aro had a wife? Oh, well, that was of no shock to her. He was a very handsome man, after all, why _shouldn't_ he be married?

But still, she had expected someone other than the woman possessively clutching him to her tall, willowy frame just now. She was too thin – a figure _born _to wear a tutu and leotard – and her red eyes were shrewd, full of barely concealed disdain. She glared at them, like she and Beth were no more than cockroaches skittering around the room.

Beth was feeling very surly, her face twisted up in a sour expression – no doubt because of the beginnings of a fire licking its way up her throat.

"We interrupting something?" she asked. She saw the shocked look Anna shot her, and shrugged, innocently. "What? I'm just asking."

Aro chuckled. "No, no, Elizabeth. It's quite alright," he reassured. "Forgive my wife. It has been a while since we spent time together."

He extracted himself from his wife gently but firmly, and smiled down at her. "Sulpicia, my love, these are the guests we were just talking about. Anna and Elizabeth."

Sulpicia sniffed, sulky about being denied his embrace. "Oh. Welcome to Volterra."

_Ooh, hello Ice Queen!_

"Charmed," Beth purred, her grinning teeth practically _dripping_ with sarcasm.

Meanwhile, Anna was as courteous and timid as ever. "It is a pleasure to meet you,"

Beth caught herself before she rolled her eyes. _Oh, Anna. _

"Hmph. Likewise. What brings you to my husband's study?"

Aro laughed aloud at her bluntness. Perhaps he was used to it. "Now, Sulpicia! These are our guests; we must treat them as such."

Beth tried not to scowl. _There were _us _thinking it was the other way round. Fine. Right, suck it up, Rhodes. Let's get this over with._

She drew herself up to her full height (which wasn't that tall, actually), and spoke with as much conviction as she could muster. "Well, I've – um - I've come to say sorry for my…_inexcusable _behaviour from before, sir," she said, wincing a little. "I'm sorry for swearing, and I'm sorry for running out like I did."

_And I'm sorry too, dear pride_.

Sulpicia's perfect, blonde eyebrows arched, but Aro was smiling.

"You are forgiven, my dear."

His reply made her feel oddly relieved. "Um, thanks."

"Is that all?" Sulpicia demanded, unimpressed.

She frowned. _Rude, much?_ "Er…yes."

So, after bidding them a polite farewell, the girls left. With some relief. Outside in the posh, pristine whiteness of the Volturi's floor, Beth could tell Anna was trying not to beam at her with pride.

"What?" It was times like this, Beth wondered if her friend considered her like a child to be taught, than a comrade. She _was_ at least a century older!

Anna's face finally broke into a rare, radiant smile. "You meant every word of that, didn't you?" When Beth grunted, she laughed – another rather uncommon occurrence. "You did!"

"Yes, alright!" Beth cried, exasperatedly, but a smiling – really_ smiling_ – Anna, made her too happy for her ego to stay sore for long.

That is, until Demetri came pounding up the stairs. He rather unceremoniously shoved past them, like an impetuous cowboy through some saloon doors, calling for Aro.

"Hey!" Beth cried.

He appeared not to hear her. "Master!" he called. "Master, I have news on Tuono!"

The angry curse died before it could leave Beth lips. "Wh – what did you say?"

With Sulpicia trailing behind, Aro stepped out of his office. "What news, Demetri?"

The girls listened in dawning horror, as the tracker told them with the grave voice of a doctor issuing grim – possibly fatal – news.

"He is on the move."


	8. Chapter 8: The killer in the crowd

**Hello!**

**Things start to get a bit dark here, dearies, and Beth gets more grief from another member of the Volturi. Poor girl, lol.**

**The chapter title is from yet another lyric from one of my favourite Florence + the Machine songs, 'Heavy In Your Arms'. **

**Hope you enjoy it!**

**LookAliveSunshine03**

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**Chapter 8:**

**The killer in the crowd**

Seconds later, the Volturi were assembled within the hall Anna and Beth had been previously taken to when they'd arrived. In all this sudden uproar of drama that now felt like an awfully long time ago.

Among the people she recognised, Anna could see a young boy there, who looked to be about the same age as Jane, listening attentively but nothing saying much. Her power was wide awake now, nagging at her like a paper-cut which refused to heal.

Aro had returned to his customary throne. His posture no longer languid and relaxed, but rigid and on high alert, like his brothers. Businesslike. Even Marcus looked vaguely a part of the intense discussion. For Anna, it was quite impressive to watch from her position there, leaning against the marble pillars with Beth.

She remembered how Sulpicia had gone back to the wives' tower, being willingly escorted by a young woman with a pear-shaped figure, and a warm smile. When she came to Aro's study, Anna's hands had immediately begun doing their usual parlour trick. Moreover, as soon as Sulpicia saw her, her cold demeanour had vanished almost at once, and even Anna had felt a little happier – though she had no reason to feel that way right now.

_Another gifted vampire! _She'd told Beth this, and she'd mock-grumbled about needing to write a list to keep track of them all.

"Actually," Anna had smiled, inspired. "That may prove to be a useful idea,"

Because her friend, though understandably shaken by the (not particularly unexpected) turn of events, had in fact, inadvertently found a way of distracting herself from her fear.

So, Beth was now very busy. Scribbling a secret list of the Volturi and their powers, with an amused grin twitching at her lips. Being such a neat and organised person, she found the idea of writing lists to be a great joy, though Anna could never quite understand why herself.

Leaning over, she read what her friend had written so far:

_What is so special about the Volturi?_

· _Aro – reads the memories of those he touches_

· _Caius – about as approachable as a bad-tempered puma (is that a gift?)_

· _Marcus - ?_

· _Demetri – awesome tracker!_

· _Jane - ?_

· _Unknown female vampire (likes to smile) – makes you feel happy_

· _Unknown male vampire (could be Jane's brother?) - ?_

Anna frowned. As powerful as some of them were, she knew their gifts were futile against Darius' – something they were failing to realise, judging by the growing look of desperation on Aro's face.

_All gifts… except my own…_ Her insides clenched with the sudden weight of the situation. _And Aro must know it, too, the fiend!_

She was in half a mind to not do anything, just to spite him – but there was no way she could do that. Not with Beth, frightened as she was, beside her.

So, though she felt far from happy with this pre-agreed arrangement, with her head held high, Anna approached the Volturi.

"I have a solution." She sounded bolder than she felt.

All heads turned to stare at her (Jane positively _glowered_), but Aro's reaction was instantaneous. His face broke into a huge, thrilled grin, and something in Anna quivered to see it.

_Oh, Lord._

"Do you, now?" Her breath hitched slightly, as he gently came over, and placed his hand on the smooth, hard skin of her forearm. Her power raged, seething about being ignored.

_Tough, _she thought, and he grinned.

In her mind, Aro was amazed once again, by the true extent of her bravery. It shone through, like a lighthouse amidst the gloomy, frothing waves of her troubled conscious.

Her 'solution' as she'd so called it, was to go to Darius, unnoticed, by borrowing some of her friend's glamour. She would take just enough of it so Beth would not have to go with her outside the Volturi's protection. Then, once she touched him, he would be like putty in her hands.

Aro considered this. If anyone else were to do it, it would most certainly be suicide – but she was the dark horse, quiet and brilliant. And she would succeed.

Except he'd promised to protect _both_ girls, hadn't he? And she (and hergift) was much too precious to risk, going out alone like that.

"A valiant solution," Aro mused aloud. "But"- he took his hand away with a regretful smile – "I doubt Elizabeth here would be agreeable to it."

Hearing her name, Beth looked up from her list, and rolled her eyes. "Don't tell me, she was going to go out and get Darius herself, wasn't she?"

"Indeed."

Beth glared at Anna. "No way, José."

Anna sighed, her gaze calm, but exceedingly stubborn.

"As powerful as you all are, Darius is far more."

"Until he cannot see." The voice, clear and definitely a man's, had come from the Volturi's group. She did not recognise it, so assumed the unfamiliar boy had said it.

"Yes," she said, frowning. He was slight and tall, with dirty blonde hair, shaped curtly into an old-fashioned cut. Like Jane, his eyes were vast pools of impossible depth and age that looked out-of-place in his young face.

"Alec?" Aro asked. "Could you help us find Darius?"

Alec nodded, and at last, a deadly smile crossed his face. It filled Anna with sudden, irrational disquiet.

_I preferred it when he was blank._

Beth was scribbling madly, obviously adding this new revelation to her ever-growing list.

Aro filled in the gaps. She had been right about one thing: Jane and Alec _were _indeed brother and sister, and both were as dangerous as the other.

Jane could conjure the illusion of excruciating agony inside a person's mind (_well, that answers that little mystery, _Anna thought, sardonically, as she cast her mind back to the strange, sharp pain she'd felt in her temple, following Jane glaring at her from before). That was bad enough, but Alec had the ability to take it. To the point where he could make a person not feel anything _at all._

They (Anna, Beth and Alec) then ventured to at her balcony. Alec reasoned, with unsettling cool logic, that it had the best view of the town, so he could see everything – most importantly the brown-hooded figure, skulking in the shade of a tall building as far away from the humans as possible.

Anna swallowed, feeling a miserably complicated duality of fear and anger build up inside her, seeing him there. "Can he smell us up here?"

"No. I am blocking him."

Beth snickered, a little nervously. "That'll confuse him. But…we don't want him to feel numb. The last thing we want is for him to make a scene."

Alec gave her a look that positively _sizzled _with spite. "I am not an imbecile, _yellow eyes_."

With an annoyed growl, she bared her teeth in a feral smile, ready to spar. "_Well_, my fine fellow, you obviously are, because it is quite obvious my eyes are now _black_."

_Oh, for heavens' sake. Not again, _Anna thought, crossly."What do you plan to do, Alec?" she asked, before he could bite back.

He glanced at her, coolly. "You should get going. I shall blind him next, and we mustn't allow him to react without you there to…soothe him."

She nodded, ignoring the strange, crooked smile he gave her. He knew; Aro had probably told him all about the relationship she had with Darius. If you could call it that.

Beth came and pulled her into a tight hug, startling her. "Be careful, alright?"

"You know I will." Looking at her, Anna was hit hard by how _ill _she appeared. The stark onyx of her eyes brought painful attention to the bruise-like circles that hung underneath them. "I shall be back soon." _Then you can hunt in peace._

"You better." Beth smiled, weakly.

Anna met many of the Volturi along the way. They held her gaze, nodding solemnly to her, as she passed. Even Jane, though she looked away as soon as possible.

Anna could only nod back, feeling further ill at ease. A heavy weight was settling itself in her chest, and though she was absolutely certain she wasn't, her feet seemed to drag with every terrible step she took.

_They respect me for doing this; _the thought was like missing her footing on a stairway, a weird, sudden jolt to her system. _What will they be like if I succeed?_

Aro had advised her to take the back exit out of his home, and when she reached it, she skidded to a stop.

_What is this?_

He was actually there, _waiting_ for her, standing Dark and formidable as a shadow in the gloom. When he saw her, however, his face broke into that killer-watt smile that seemed to chase it all away. She gasped at its beauty, before chastising herself for it.

_Stop it._

She swallowed, wondering if he was just waiting for her out of politeness. _How absurd._ "Aro, you do not –"

"Yes, I do," he cut her off gently. Her stomach clenched, as he placed his hand on her upper arm. Actually, it was quite pleasant.

But he seemed to be having some kind of internal struggle. "My dear, if I could bring Tuono here, I would, but I -" His red eyes were blazing with actually _wanted _to do it, rather than her? Why?

_To protect your gift, _a small part of her smirked, knowingly.

"Aro," she stopped him, incredibly aware of his hand still on her arm. It felt…good. Strange, but good. "It was you who wanted to see my" – she grimaced, hating the imminent word – "_gift _in action. Let me go, please."

A spasm passed across his face, but he did as he was asked. "_Badare, _Anna."

She frowned a little at that. "I will."

_Be careful. _

She let herself out. The bright sunlight of Volterra had dissipated since she'd last been out in it, but it was still a problem. She slid on her sunglasses, and yanked off her silken gloves. The feeling was about as exquisite as jumping into a cool bath on a boiling hot day – something she tried to ignore, as she shut out everything else around her.

_Now, _Darius_, where are you…?_

It didn't take long to find him.

* * *

Darius moaned, as the blood of his latest victim flooded into his mouth in a warm tide of ecstasy. She flopped, swooning in his vice-like grip of solid ice and muscle, with her eyelids fluttering like butterfly wings. He made sure she made no sound.

The time was exactly two o'clock, giving him plenty of time to kill…literally. Dressed in an unassuming brown hooded top to keep off the sun, Darius had woven his way through the crowds, scanning round for his next meal. He had fogged the minds of the cattle milling around him, so they would not remember his face. He didn't enjoy it. If anything, he preferred using his gift for his own selfish entertainment than necessity, but he had been thirsty, and in this situation he needed to keep up his strength.

His victim's eyes, a vivid, but very familiar shade of periwinkle blue, were what had drawn him to her. They rolled in their sockets now, though she felt no pain. Only a pleasant, cold numbness, as the soft arms of death welcomed her inside.

She was young, maybe eighteen, but she was no prostitute, so that was a rare treat. She was a student, most probably enjoying a gap year. Her blood was untainted, alive with youth…well, not for long. He'd caught her here in this alleyway, while she'd checked her phone, all long, tanned legs and dark hair. As pretty as she was, he was quite disappointed that he did not have time to have his way with her.

His suspicions about Anna and Beth ha been confirmed when he'd arrived. Their scents led up into none other than the Volturi's headquarters! Oh-ho that had been a nasty revelation indeed.

Darius did not fear the Volturi as such…but their methods of ruling _really_ got under his skin. Why should vampires _hide _from the humans? They were the ultimate superior race, in all aspects! If _he_ were in charge, he would ensure they lived in total terror of vampires – and if they tried to stop them, well, who was the better predator? The humans only had _guns_ and _bombs_, and they were pathetically useless against his kind.

In his temper, Darius threw his latest victim off him callously, cracking her head against the cobbled stones. He didn't care. She wasn't his problem anymore; her blood coursed deliciously through _his_ dead veins now, and that was all that mattered to him.

Now, if he could only get inside the Volturi's headquarters without being detected…

_Rhodes, _he thought, baring his teeth in a hungry grin. _I'm coming for you._

* * *

She held her breath, so as not to let the humans distract her, letting her sensitive palms guide her to him.

_I will have to hunt soon…ah!_

There he was. Disappearing further into the safety of an alleyway to her right, where the sun could not reach him. She hissed in distaste, when she saw the crumpled figure of the poor, human girl lying in his wake.

Against her better judgement, Anna crouched down onto her haunches. Alec's power stopped Darius from smelling her, so she was safe to do so, but her old, human instincts still told her to shy away from the corpse.

In the dim light of the alleyway, she could see the girl was tall, with pale skin, and dark hair down to the small of her back that was almost black in the shade…

_Oh my…_

She felt something like bile rise in her stomach.

_Oh, that sick, twisted devil! She looks almost just like me!_

And for the first time in her vampire life, she felt real, terrifying _hate _detonate in her dead veins with such force; it made her rock back on her heels.

Staggering to her feet, she inched towards Darius's huddled form.

Something was very, very wrong with Darius' nose. For some strange (suspicious) reason, he could no longer smell _anything. _

It had happened after he'd considered heading back into the cattle market again – just like that.

Though he wouldn't openly admit, even to himself, losing his sense of smell was starting to scare him. It was as if it had just switched off, like a common light bulb. How was that _possible_? He pondered, stupidly over it.

_They know I am here, _he thought, suddenly. _The Volturi._

Then he was blind.

* * *

Anna's hand was covering his mouth in an instant, stopping his scream, as he writhed in panic at the sudden blackout.

"_Shut up,_" she snarled. Her power leeched off of him, ravenously, encouraged by her rage. She could feel his power, seeping into her palms, like ice and fire. Pain and pleasure.

With a grimace, she moved her hand to clasp his massive shoulder. She didn't want to touch his mouth again.

"Now, come with me. And keep quiet."

He rose obediently, and she allowed herself a smile of triumph.

Together, they walked side by side.

Darius said not a word.


	9. Chapter 9: A numb kind of retribution

**Hello! Hope I haven't kept you hangin'!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OCs.**

* * *

**Chapter 9:**

**A numb kind of retribution**

Beth's swift feet had her flying down the steps, four at a time. To witness the coming retribution that was about to land on Darius like the world's largest piano.

The thought sickened and excited her at the same time.

Annoyingly, Alec walked at a leisurely pace, yet he was somehow overtaking her with ease. She was bitterly tempted to trip him up…but as he'd already been fairly lenient with Darius (who deserved all the punishment he got), she didn't want to give him reason to do anything to her.

_Yellow eyes, _she scoffed instead, with amused contempt. _Is that all they could come up with? Shit, I've been called worse by _Anna_, and she's a complete pussy cat…well, until _he _shows his face, anyway._

She jumped off the last step, just as Anna marched past with Darius in tow, blankly smiling under her iron grip.

Beth froze, bemused._ Now that's just… wrong. What _else_ is she doing to him?_

"We should follow." Alec murmured. His sudden proximity made her jump about a foot in the air. _Jesus!_ He'd been way ahead of her a moment ago!

Anna led them through the oak doors, into the (now very familiar) marble hall. Unnervingly, Beth saw the Volturi had not moved. They sat as motionless as statues, almost at one with the room itself.

_Judges. _

The criminal had come to a stop before Judge Dread 1, 2 and 3, and then he was lowered submissively to his knees. Anna's power was still leeching greedily off of his.

_Does he even know she's doing that? _Beth wondered. Out of the corner of her eye, Alec was returning to his Masters' side, next to his sister. She was glaring at Darius with something like _hunger_.

_Yikes! Remind me never to get on the wrong side of her!_

She wasn't entirely sure where to put herself, so she shuffled up to stand beside Anna. As far away from Darius as she could get. He was still smiling like a kid who'd just met Father Christmas, Spiderman and the Easter Bunny chatting in the same room.

Upon Anna and Darius' approach, Aro had risen from his seat.

"Well done, my dear," he murmured, addressing Anna. "You have surpassed my expectations."

_How patronising! _Beth thought with disgust, but stayed mute.

Anna nodded her head gracefully. "Thank you, Aro." She glanced at Darius with malice. "Do with him what you wish."

_Whoa. _The iciness of her tone made Beth suck in a shocked breath, but no one noticed.

Anna released Darius…with some difficulty, and slowly, Darius come round from the effects of her touch.

The idiotic smile became an almost comical look of utter confusion. He stared around, like a lost child. If you listened carefully, you could hear a very large penny dropping.

"No." He hissed, and his face twisted into a snarl that screamed _FERAL AND DANGEROUS._

Aro saw this. "Jane."

And Darius gave a bellowing howl, like a bull that has just been stabbed in the side with a red-hot branding iron. Under Jane's unwavering gaze, he collapsed to the floor, writhing around in agony, and they all heard the dull _crack! _as his weight smashed against the marble floor.

_That'll leave a mark, _Beth thought, and fought back a hysterical laugh. She hated this man with a passion, but seeing him like this, thrashing around, shrieking like a wounded animal…it soured her insides.

_Okay, you've had your fun, but that's enough!_

Yet Jane kept at it, shooting his massive body with invisible darts of fire and venom. A fresh wave of them brought Darius' screams up an awful, higher pitch, and Beth had to fight the urge to cover her ears.

But what was Anna making of this? The only part of her that appeared to be moving was her throat, as she swallowed. Beth knew from experience that such an action was her odd, unconscious way of steeling herself against fear or nerves. A human trait, no doubt. She was silently suffering as much as she was. It was strangely reassuring.

Finally, Aro spoke. "That's enough, Jane," to which she obeyed. Darius groaned, breathing raggedly.

"Do you know why you are here, Tuono?"

When he did not answer, Aro answered, coldly.

"You have not been entirely honest with us." He glanced at Anna, who reached down and forced Darius to stand. Even under her power, his legs were unsteady from Jane's treatment, but he still tried to play the innocent.

"When? I don't understand."

That seemed to rub up Anna completely the wrong way. Beth's mouth popped open, as her friend's fingers tightened around his tree-trunk-sized shoulder, with an audible _crunch. _Darius hissed in pain.

"Don't play the fool, _Darius_," she muttered. "You will show Aro exactlywhat you hid from him the last time you came here." Her eyes flashed at Jane. "Unless you want Jane here to assist?"

"Or you?" Darius had the gall to chuckle, and Beth saw the look her gave her. It was the lazily defiant expression he always seemed to reserve especially for her. His hair flopped in loose curls over his forehead, something which he considered incredibly sexy. Ugh.

Except, this time his eyes gave his true feelings away. What was it? _Fear? _She hoped so.

_…__Do I?_

Beth had never really seen this side of Anna before – okay, maybe she'd have a few 'choice words' to say to him if he overstepped her personal space, but she'd always keep it terse. Anna _owned _being terse.

She appeared not to hear him. "Show Aro what you did, Darius."

And, of course, he did. It was so _weird_, seeing him obey her like that, and Beth saw Aro's eye light up with triumph.

_Oh, I see. He wants to see her power in all its scary glory. _Her loathing for him deepened, spreading like a dark wine stain across her conscience. _I will be so glad when we leave this place._

Aro had already experienced the inside of Darius' mind. It was dark, but not in a mysterious way, like Anna's. There was no light, only the shadows that writhed and shifted between the memories; something he had never come across before, which greatly disturbed him.

Well…Anna's power brought the truth out in hideous relief. So. Tuono _had_ been there, the night Antoine took the child from the man who had wanted to do those things to her. He'd then followed him home to Sabine.

The icy mist. Oh, it was always there, fogging the mind, muddling the wits.

Satisfied, Aro let the man's hand go.

"Thank you, Anna."

Darius gave a dull hiss, but Anna cut him off.

"Stop it. It is over, Darius." Her clear, melodic voice rang like a solemn bell through the hall. "You cannot hurt us anymore."

Aro smiled, and with her unspoken permission, he took Darius' head in his hands.

_Oh, shit. _Beth turned away hurriedly. _Here it comes._

Anna could feel herself trembling. She couldn't stop it…and her hand was actually starting to turn _numb_.

That was a very bad sign.

_Let go! _Her conscience cried, but she couldn't. Like the fool who decided to lick a metal pole on a snowy, icy day, her hand was _stuck._

Nevertheless, she kept calm, as Aro wrenched Darius' proud head free from his body…

* * *

**Dun, dun DUUUUN. Darius gets his come-upance at last. What d'you think? Good? Bad? Meh? Lemme know!**


	10. Chapter 10: A very clever (stupid) idea

**Hello! I'm so excited about this chapter, and I hope you love it as much as I enjoyed writing it!**

**I do not own the Volturi/Twilight!**

**LookAliveSunshine03**

* * *

**Chapter 10:**

**A very clever (stupid) idea**

Darius' twitching, decapitated corpse was carried away on a canvas stretcher by Felix and an even larger, handsomer man Anna did not recognise. She didn't particularly care either.

Because the cold, numb feeling from using Darius' power against him for too long was _spreading,_ creeping up her arm like a deadly case of frostbite. It had never done that before.

Her palms were prickling as if nothing had happened, so she slipped her gloves back on out of habit. But they didn't stop the numbness.

Beth, who looked like she was about to keel over forced her to forget it for a moment. With Aro dismissing his guard, she took her chance to speak to her.

"Are you alright?"

"Huh?" Beth blinked, as if rousing herself out of a trance. "Oh, yeah…I think so." She smiled weakly. "Just a bit shocked."

"Me too." She put a gentle arm around her friend's shoulders. "So what will you plan to hunt?"

Beth shrugged. "I don't know. What animals live in Italy?"

"Elk. And bears."

That made Beth grin. "Challenge accepted."

There was a moment's pause. Then:

"He's gone."

She said it so softly, Anna didn't quite hear. "Pardon?"

A small, almost guilty smile curled Beth's lip. "He's gone. Darius is gone."

Anna pondered that for a moment. She could not believe it. The despicable man, who had terrorised her all her vampire life with the constant threat of his unbridled, brutish desire, was now… _dead._

It brought about such overwhelming feelings of relief and elation, Anna nearly laughed aloud with it. Oh, she could walk the very _earth _now, without fear.

But her arm – and now her whole left side.

_Oh no. _Now she understood.

The numbness of Darius' power was – was _infecting _her, freezing her from the inside, like a malevolent parasite. Burrowing its way into her left, frontal lobe, where her brain produced her speech.

"Beth!" she gasped and the uncharacteristically low tone her voice brought Beth's head round in alarm.

"What is it?"

Anna gulped, shakily. "I – I must have held on for too long."

The powerful jubilation that had surged through her body only seconds ago had been brutally extinguished. It was now smouldering mess of ash in the empty pit of her stomach.

She suddenly felt nauseous to the point of retching. Her teeth were starting to chatter, and she staggered violently, clutching her head. Darius' ability was making itself cheerily at home in there, flushing her entire being with what could only be described as _ice._

"Anna!" Beth gasped, trying to steady her.

But she was floating…floating…and falling…

_Am I dying?_

"Anna!"

Beth's head whipped painfully round at Aro's tone. It was full of the same alarm she could feel churning around inside her, like gloopy soup. She was stunned, when he came to her side in a flash.

"I've got her," he said, and she inwardly slapped herself when she automatically allowed him to take Anna's now motionless body from her.

_No!_

He lifted her into his arms. Her head was just lying across the crook of his left elbow, and her legs dangled limply. She was as light as a feather, as still as the dead – but then, they were _all _dead here, so that came as no surprise.

"What happened?" Caius asked mildly.

Beth hissed. "She _collapsed, _you dipshit – what does it _look_ like?!"

"Calm yourself, Elizabeth," Aro was gazing at Anna in a way that didn't seem appropriate in this situation. He looked up at his brothers, and Beth saw sorrow in his darkening eyes. Terror gripped her windpipe.

_She can't be dead. It's impossible!_

"Anna has gone into almost a state of shock," he was explaining. "She has taken some of Tuono's power – but only some of it – and it is now attaching itself to her mind."

"Will she recover?"

_Yes, of course she will! _Beth thought, but Aro sighed.

"I don't know. Her mind is strong…but as you see, it is perhaps not strong enough."

"So, what do we do?!" Beth choked. "Just _wait,_ and see if she comes to?"

"There is not much else we can do. I have never come across anything this."

She chuckled, weakly. "You could have fooled me…"

* * *

Solemnly, Aro carried Anna to her room, where he gently placed her on the bed. Beth had not left his side for a single second. She was too wary of what he would do if Anna did not have someone familiar to watch over her.

"How is she?"

Aro brushed the hair partially covering Anna's face, touching the cold surface of her cheek to access her thoughts.

They were faint, but there, guttering like candles in her labyrinth mind. Distantly, he knew he would never tire of looking into it.

_Am I dead? Where are you? Tom? Tom…I'm so sorry…_

"She is alright," he replied, glancing at Beth. A smile twitched the corners of his mouth. "But as I said, she is resting."

"Well…good." Part of her sagged with relief, but the rest of her was joyfully joining forces with her hatred for him. "So, are you happy now? Did she live up to your _eager_ expectations?"

Aro fought the urge to roll his eyes. "You know the answer to that, Elizabeth."

Oh yes. She did. A shiver ran down Beth's spine.

"She'll say no, you know. If you ask her to join you." She spoke with conviction, yet she was trembling as she came to stand defiantly in front of him.

"Indeed," Aro nodded, patiently. "But you forget my dear; I have ways of persuading those who cast my generosity aside."

_Holy shit, this guy is as big-headed as Darius! _

"Well _I_ may forget, but Anna doesn't. And now she's got some of Darius' power…well!" Beth bared her teeth at him in a fierce smile. "She will be _completely_ immune." When Aro smiled coolly at her, an edge of a snarl entered her voice. "You may know everything about Anna now, but _I_ understand her better than you ever could. She has come across far too many men like _you_ in her time, and she doesn't need to be trapped under the thumb of _another_ one."

Aro raised an eyebrow, almost amused. "What kind of man am I?"

"Power-hungry," she growled, vehemently. "And no matter how much of it you may have, it is never enough."

"Is that so?" By his tone, she could tell he was mocking her. Her temper flared.

"Yes!"

Aro was clearly getting bored of this subject. "You need to hunt," he said, resignedly. "I suggest you go now, before the humans arrive."

"No chance!" Beth spat. "I'm not leaving you alone with her."

"Elizabeth, what do you think I am going to do to her?" He was exasperated. Maybe even offended. _Good. _"I will keep her safe, I promise you…as I promised I would dispose of Tuono for you."

_Ah. Guilt trip. Love it. _Beth narrowed her eyes at him. Aro stared right back.

"I guess I should thank you for that, huh?"

Aro tried not to laugh. It was better than nothing. "You're quite welcome."

Beth paused. Well, he _hadn't _forced Anna to allow him to read her thoughts before, and Anna had told her how much of a gentleman he had been. Yet the thought of leaving her alone, defenceless in this man's hands still worried her terribly.

Although she _was _incredibly thirsty…

_Crap. _

"Okay," she sighed at last, reluctantly. "I'll go. But _not_ for long. I still don't trust you in the slightest. Even after you killed Darius." she mumbled.

He smiled. "Happy hunting."

Beth frowned at him. _What the heck does _that _mean? _

But her thirst was getting angry at her for neglecting it for so long, so she shuffled away, with one last poignant look for Aro as her parting shot.

_If you hurt her, so help me, I will kill you._

When she was gone, Aro laughed aloud. Young vampires…so impetuous and unpredictable! It was almost funny.

Still chuckling softly, he turned his attention back to the bed. There were no physical changes to be seen. Anna lay as motionless as ever, but when he checked her thoughts again, he was pleased to find they were louder, the memories brighter.

_I hope Beth is alright. Oh Lord, she's probably _so_ worried about me! I wish I could reassure her…_

Marcus was right. The girls' relationship was a strong one, protective and familiar. Enviable, even.

Suddenly, a shaft of sunlight ghosted through the balcony veils, reaching out to touch her peaceful face – and yet Aro knew that if she were awake, it would be a completely different story.

_"…__Even with these gloves on, it still hurts me to be so close to you."_

He tried to quash the regret he felt from before, wishing he had had the ability to stop Darius, rather than having Anna do it. But no. It was done. There was no use in dwelling on it now.

_"__I – I must have held on for too long."_

He remembered the ancient sadness in her eyes. She knew of her mistake, and had accepted it with dignity.

_Dignity. _She was the epitome of it. Reaching up, Aro brushed the stubborn piece of hair which had returned to cover her closed eyes. It was chocolate-brown in the shaft of light still bouncing off her face, soft as liquid satin under his fingers, and he found himself running them through it.

It felt right.

It felt like heaven.

That made Aro freeze. He had he really thought that just now? He was married to Sulpicia! He was –

_But I no longer love her. _

Well, that was obvious, and Sulpicia knew it too. She just refused to acknowledge it.

But surely not –? This beautiful woman? He barely knew her. They'd only been here a _day_.

So why couldn't he stop staring at her?

Aro closed his eyes, and dared to breathe in her smell.

_Aah… _It was deliciously sweet. Exotic fruit, with a hint of jasmine. It filled him up, drugged him, and suddenly he wanted, _needed _her to be awake.

And he knew exactly how to make that a reality. Stroking her hair one more time, Aro's hands drifted towards his goal.

Those silken gloves. His eyes were wide open now, as he tugged them off slowly, by the fingers.

He froze, too amazed to carry on. Her hands were delicate, agile artist's hands, and something hot, dark and long-forgotten was lazily stretching inside him, when he took one of them in his.

Then Anna's eyes shot open.


	11. Chapter 11: Making like a leaf

**Ok, I know the last chapter ended on a mean little cliff-hanger, so I tried to update as quick as I could to end any suffering, lol. Huge thanks to all the reviews, and of course, all the new people following my story. Eee! You guys just make my day!**

**Enjoy!**

**LookAliveSunshine03**

* * *

**Chapter 11:**

**Making like a leaf**

_NO!_

The bright light seared her corneas, as something like adrenalin shattered Anna's illusion of slumber. In a second, she was pressed against the wall, trembling in the corner of the room. Her hand was a solid block of ice, but the sight of Aro before her filled her with hot rage.

He stepped back, lifting his hands up in a hope to calm her. "Anna, I –"

"_Why?_" She growled. It was quiet, but it spoke volumes. Her sculptured lips were pulled away from perfect, glistening teeth, and her dark eyes shone with a deadly cocktail of panic and fury.

She was a picture of carnal beauty. The lust danced in Aro's gut.

_She is full of surprises. _

"You are awake!" he replied, beaming. "Beth will be delighted."

Anna spat out her venom in a very unladylike manner. "You did not answer my question, Aro! What on _earth_ possessed you to touch my hand without my gloves?"

"I only wanted you to wake up."

"Of course you did!" she hissed, with surprising malice. "You had _no_ right to use my own powers against me! Do you realise what you could have done?"

"I do," he replied, truthfully, and Anna gaped at him.

"Then are you an _idiot_?"

Aro laughed. "No. I only wanted to test you." He was lying, of course.

"_Test _me? – Oh." Aro's dead heart seemed to sink, when Anna's lips thinned into a hard, white line. "You wanted to see what I could do, didn't you? Now I have _two _abilities that are of interest to you."

He opened his mouth to protest, but Anna shook him away, grumbling.

"No. Do not even try to lie to me. I won't give you the satisfaction of making you tell the truth." She pushed herself off the wall, and crossed the room to find her bag in the corner.

He watched with dismay as she began to pack, glaring at him out of the corner of her eye. _How dare she speak to me this way?_

"Don't you wish to know where Elizabeth is?"

"I know where she is," she replied, curtly, retrieving her glove. She yanked it back on, and raised an eyebrow. "You have a feast to go to, do you not?"

Aro ignored her tone. "Heidi will only bring the humans here at my instruction. Also, I promised Elizabeth I would look after you."

Anna gave him a look hot enough to set him alight. And it did.

"I do not need _you_ to look after me."

Aro nearly threw his hands up in exasperation. _I cannot win with these absurdly stubborn women! _"I understand."

"Ha! Do you indeed?" She was a blur of movement, searching for something around the bed. Whatever it was, she couldn't find it, and she stopped at the foot of the bed with a sigh.

"What are you looking for?" he asked, to change the subject. He dared to move closer to her, and she was quick to step away. Her eyes flashed hesitantly.

"You do not need to stay with me, Aro."

He raised his eyebrows. "You wish to be alone?"

"Yes."

"Why? Do I make you uncomfortable?"

She frowned. "You know that you do."

"Then tell me this – did you, or did you not read my mind, when I touched you?"

He was rewarded with a puzzled look. "…What?"

Aro smiled, encouraged. "What did you feel? Your hands, did they hurt?"

She blinked, and he could almost see the well-oiled cogs of her mind working.

"No. They – they didn't," she said, at last. Her mouth twitched. "There was…only numbness."

"And why is that?" Something like hope was swelling in his chest.

"Because I did not want you to –"she gasped, and glanced at her hand. "Darius' power! It – it stopped me!"

Aro shook his head. "No, my dear. _You _stopped it."

Anna swallowed. Perhaps she was too stunned to react, but she did not back away when Aro came over to her. Still, he approached with care to avoid startling her.

All trace of anger had drained out of her system, and a hint of a smile dared to make an appearance. His desire roared with triumph inside him.

"You might say stealing his power was a blessing in disguise."

Anna looked at him then; _really _looked at him, and was struck by heat of his gaze.

_Oh! _Something tightened in her stomach, reminding her of the moment they had shared before Darius was found. _Why is he looking at me like that? _

She was further alarmed, when her skin prickled, as if the air was alive all around her.

"What?" she asked, a little nervously. Her eyes were huge, full of caution, and Aro realised.

_She has little experience with men who intend to treat her with respect. _It made his dead heart ache. _Oh, Anna._

"I'm not going to hurt you," he whispered. Standing this close, her alluring scent came off her in waves, and he breathed it in. _Aah. _

She swallowed. Her mind and body appeared to be fighting over whether to run, or…what? In the sunlight, his black hair was a glossy sheet of silk, and his eyes blazed.

_Oh my._ Her breath stuttered – actually _stuttered._

"I have never come across a woman as intriguing as you," he said, softly, and –

"_Anna!_"

It was Beth, returned from her hunting trip. They sprung apart.

She gave an almighty squeal and ran to hug Anna. "_Anna! _Oh my God!" Her now warm, butterscotch eyes danced with glee. "I thought you'd never wake up! I was so worried!"

"I'm fine, Beth," Anna smiled, looking a little startled. "You have hunted well?"

"Yup! Two elks and one bear," she let her go and grinned, smugly. "Quite the work-out."

She had never been so glad to see Anna up and about. Glancing at Aro, she jerked her head in a secret gesture. _Thank you. _He acknowledged it with a nod back, smiling.

"Well, this is marvellous! You are well-fed, and Anna is recovered."

_God, where's he going with this?_

"Soon I shall have Heidi bring us our feast – and I would be honoured if you, Anna, were to join us."

_WHAT?! _Beth's mouth fell open. _He can't be serious!_

But his face was eager and full of expectation. His darkening eyes were fixed on Anna's.

"Well, my dear?"

Beth saw how her friend swallowed and looked at her hands, twisting them in her lap. She knew how she had struggled whilst in the company of humans – and then there was the rather _interesting_ incident with the Volturi's pet receptionist – but she alsoknew how loyal Anna was to her. That was reassuring. Anna would not abandon her best friend and companion.

Plus, feasting with these vampires would send out _completely_ the wrong signals; like she was ready and willing to join their coven, indefinitely. The thought made Beth shudder.

So she was unsurprised (but still very, very pleased), when Anna replied:

"As gracious as your offer is, I'm afraid I must decline."

_So there! _Beth bit the inside of her cheek hard, to stop herself grinning at Aro's expression. _Crestfallen_ didn't even begin to cover it.

"You are quite certain?" He frowned, sadly. "You look thirsty, my dear."

"I am fine." Anna glanced at Beth. "I can hunt along the way."

_Oh! We're leaving, are we? _She wasn't expecting that, but it was great to hear. _Well, good! About fucking time!_

Aro looked stricken. "You're…leaving? So soon?"

"Yes," Anna nodded, stiffly. "We have to return to Nice for Antoine and Sabine's belongings. I'm sure they would want us to have them."

Beth was nodding in agreement, whilst inwardly applauding her. _And I'm sure you just made that up off the top of your head._

"Of – of course."

Anna gave him a fleeting, apologetic smile.

"Thank you, Aro."

And, without looking back, they left, disappearing under Beth's glamour.

Aro longed to stop them, but how could he? As much as he wanted – _needed _–to have Anna Eden on his side, there was no way he could force her. That would only drive her further away.

And so…he let them go.

But it didn't mean he'd given up. Definitely not! His mind was already whirring with what to do next. He called for Demetri, who appeared at his side with his usual startling punctuality.

"You called, my Lord?"

He explained what had become of Anna and Beth, which was met with much ire from his servant.

"They _left_ – just like that?"

Aro nodded, solemnly. "Which is why, Demetri, I have a little task for you. Can you get a trace of Anna Eden's mind here?"

Demetri looked smug. "Of course."

"Good. After we have feasted, I want you to follow it. I shall be down in a moment."

His servant bowed. "Very good, my Lord."

When he was gone, Aro cast his own growing thirst aside. There was still one more thing he had to do.

He walked around the bed where Anna had been lying, unconscious, barely minutes had been looking for something, he recalled. Apparently it wasn't important, because she had given up on it when he'd asked her about it.

Then it came to him. What had happened to the scarf? The scarf that had brought about Darius Tuono's doom? It wasn't imperative that he found it, but it was too pretty a thing to leave, forgotten.

It was nowhere to be seen. Unless –

Aro grinned, _I wonder…_

He peered under the bed. The space under there was big enough to fit in a young adult, so something as small as a scarf could easily get kicked under there...

And there it was; crumpled, but otherwise unharmed, like a beautiful snakeskin. The gold and silver thread of the stitching winked out at him from the shadow of the bed. He picked it up, and Darius' musky scent hit his nostrils, making him grimace.

But it was her scarf, wasn't it? He ran it through his fingers, relishing its softness. It reminded him of her hair, and he sighed to think it.

_How fast I have fallen…yet how exhilarating the fall._

Smiling quietly, Aro slipped the scarf into his jacket. Then he went downstairs to call for Heidi to serve up their next sumptuous meal.

And human screams filled the air.


	12. Chapter 12: Vampires of Whitby

**Chapter 12:**

**Vampires of Whitby**

Two months passed. True to Anna's word, the girls returned to Nice to collect Antoine and Sabine's belongings from their cottage. It was out where no human ever ventured, in a deserted scrap of countryside, but was comfortable to live in, so the girls agreed they would visit again in the near future.

After their short flight out of Italy, they bought themselves two hefty suitcases in order to fit everything in: Antoine's small, precious book supply, his journals, and Sabine's gorgeous collection of vintage clothing. If she were still alive, they were certain she would have been happy for them to have it, yet the thought made them ache with grieving regret.

Because, no matter how much Anna and Beth wished for it, their family would never come back.

They tried returning to Dartmoor briefly in August, but the lack of normality and human 'contact' soon frustrated Anna, so she quietly suggested they moved to somewhere far more busy and bustling. Moreover, having read 'Dracula' again (for the _third_ time) that month, Beth proposed they went to Whitby for a while.

Anna had a vague, clouded memory of visiting relatives near there in her previous life. She recalled that the weather had been rather awful and cold, but the welcome she and her family had received had been cheerfully warm. In addition, it would be familiar and _British_, so she didn't mind. No matter where they went, both women were English girls at heart and – vampires or not – they much preferred miserable drizzle that made you squint in order to see, than a relentless, blazing sun on their backs, no matter how much they complained.

They decided to have their little holiday in a secluded property in Ravenscar, twenty-five miles from Whitby. The cottage itself was a cosy, modern building, despite a dilapidated windmill attached to it, giving it an amusingly unique flare. The rolling hills of Yorkshire could be seen through a vast window in the airy sitting-room, until the mist abruptly grew so thick they couldn't see anything at all, except a pure, solid wall of _white_.

On the rare sunny day, the girls would obviously stay outside of the company of humans, watching DVDs (Beth), reading and sketching (Anna) in their little cottage. The distant, throaty bleats of scrubby-looking sheep were their only company there, but it was welcome, it was peaceful…and it was perfect for hunting.

* * *

It was the fourth day of their holiday, and it was pouring with rain, hammering against the windows, as if it wanted to get into the house. Unabashed, Anna was sat on the sofa with her sketchbook placed open on her lap, idly doodling in the corner of the last page. She would have to buy a new one soon. Almost every page was stiff and wrinkled, heavy with layers of acrylic paint.

She was alone in the house, dressed in one of Sabine's baggy silk blouses, the colour of lavender, and black leggings. Beth was out hunting, scowling against the driving rain from beneath the hood of her favourite top. Anna had fed well yesterday, seeking out two tourists who were quite the hiking and health enthusiasts, judging by the clean taste of their blood.

But as happy as she was here, there was still something…nagging at the back of her mind. She had been putting it off. She was on _holiday_, for heaven's sake; now was time for fun and exploring a different scene! She had kept quiet about it in front of Beth, of course. She didn't want to be a killjoy, and ruin this trip for her. Later, they would be visiting Whitby Abbey, where Bram Stoker had partially based some of his greatest work, and Beth was incredibly excited about it. It was to be her highlight of the week.

But still…that feeling remained, like a busy rat, gnawing at Anna's mind. Like she was being watched.

He had touched her hand, and had let them go. _Why?_ And…then there was the way he had lookedat her, before Beth had arrived back from her hunt. It had been so _intense_, and her body had responded in a way that was so strange and unfamiliar, it had frightened her.

Thinking about it now made her tense, and her rock-solid fist clenched so hard around her chunk of graphite, it snapped as easily as a crayon. One of the halves skidded onto the floor, while the other sprinkled her sketch of a rose with steely crumbs.

She sighed, retrieving it. That had been a brand new piece. Oh, well. She placed both parts back into its dented tin, and shut her book, wearily. Her mind was too unsettled, and suddenly, she no longer felt like drawing.

Beyond the sound of the heavy shower, she caught the sound of footsteps approaching the house, crunching up the gravel driveway. She instinctively stiffened, until her hands began to prickle.

Then she sagged with some relief. _Thank heavens it wasn't the human! _Her shy nature meant she hated meeting new people…especially those with warm, tantalising blood pounding through their veins.

When Beth came skipping into the house, her sneakers were wet with mud, and her favourite sweater was sprinkled with leaves, but she looked utterly content – and Anna envied her a little for it.

"Was your hunting trip successful?" she called to her in the hallway.

"Uh huh. I came across a deer, and a big one at that."

"Excellent," Anna smiled. She got to her feet, grabbing her coat as she did. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yup. I'll get the car started."

The car was nothing special. A simple, blue _Punto _which Beth had purchased herself, so she was proud of it, nonetheless. Anna herself could not drive, and neither did she feel the need to. No driving instructor would last ten minutes with her, in such a confined space, and her legs were a far more reliable, _faster _mode of transport, anyway.

She sighed as she followed Beth outside, out into the miserable weather. The rain all but snapped against her coat and legs, blowing at weird, diagonal angles from the wind.

But she was about halfway to the car, when something made her freeze. Her hands already prickled with Beth, but staring out into the hills beyond their little house, she felt another presence. The wet gravel almost had her slipping, but she recovered herself quickly.

Beth saw this, and, feeling guilty for staying in the warm and dry of the car, got out.

"What is it?" she asked quietly, knowing she would hear.

Anna swallowed. The nagging in her brain had become alarm bells, providing a beat for the itch of her palms to dance to. "There is somewhere here with us," she replied. "And they are not human."

"So, another vampire? Oh, brilliant." Beth didn't like sound of that.

Anna looked pensively under her hood. "We should go. They are too far away, but they may be following us."

"Okay. Whoever the hell they are, let's just hope they're friendly," Beth grumbled, and got back in the car.

The prickling in Anna's palms did not stop, even when they began their rather soggy trek up to Whitby Abbey itself. Though it made her terribly uncomfortable, there was small victory in that it only confirmed her theory: they _were_ being followed…perhaps stalked_, _like prey.

And there was now only _one _vampire she knew who could do such a thing so diligently.

The rain had dried up by now, and the girls strolled around the Abbey upon thick, wet grass that squished deliciously under their footing. The Abbey was vast and ancient, more of a stone skeleton of a building than anything, but it still had enough grandeur left to fill them with awe to see it. Beth was busy playing photographer, but her eyes moved cautiously when the camera wasn't occupying them.

"Is our stalker still following us?" All she could see were humans: a crowd of boisterous American tourists, posing for a group photo on one of the Abbey's moss-covered, high walls, and lots of families under massive umbrellas, wearing matching macks. But no vampires.

"They are keeping their distance," Anna answered, affirmatively. "But I can still feel them."

She sneered. "Coward."

"_Or_ we would recognise them if we saw them."

Beth blinked at her, astonished. "You know who it is?"

"I'm not completely sure, but consider it – who do we know who can track anyone, _anywhere _in the world?"

The dawning look of anger on Beth's face was almost funny. "Demetri. _Fuck_. Aro sent him to spy on us!"

Anna smiled, grimly. "Indeed, it is likely…but we cannot act on it unless we know for sure."

"Obviously."

They took some more photos of the Abbey, and then it was off to the gift shop, in the warm and dry. Beth purchased a pop-up copy of _Dracula_, and a small, delicate necklace of a Celtic cross with a ruby set in its centre, for Anna. It was fairly expensive, but it was too pretty for her not to buy it.

Anna had stayed with her for a little while, but the shop was small, and much too crowded for her vampire instincts to put up with for long. Besides, the leering looks she was getting from young men (and some old enough to know better!) had begun to wear on her patience.

So, here she was sat, perched on a wall outside, watching the humans swarm about like bees. The idea made her smile, though she wasn't sure why. She reached into her coat pocket for her phone, just to appear like she was doing something.

All the while, her prickling palms were hurting, telling her that Demetri was on the approach.

"Good afternoon, Demetri," she said, quietly.

Glancing up, she saw he was dressed in a mundane, black hoodie and jeans. He looked quite the devastatingly handsome human. He also looked absolutely astounded at being caught.

"I must say, you have come a long way from home," she went on conversationally, though she did not smile. Her insides burned with indignation. "What brings you to England?"

She knew the answer of course. She just wanted to see if he would tell her – but he only narrowed his eyes at her.

"I see now why my Master is so adamant about you joining us. _No_ vampire has ever been able to escape me or detect me before."

"Consider it a new experience," she replied, breezily, gazing at the scenery around them. "I hear such things are beneficial."

He was apparently oblivious to the mocking tone in her voice. "My Master is anxious to hear of your whereabouts, as I'm sure you're aware. You left in quite a hurry."

Anna glared at him. "So would you, if you valued your freedom."

"Indeed," he replied, with a wry smile.

She sighed, when it became obvious he wasn't going to say more. "Why are you here, Demetri? I trust it is not just to have a chat. I can have that with Beth."

"Ah, yes," Demetri smirked. "How is _la bambina?_"

The door of the gift shop's exit slammed shut. Three guesses who it was.

"Fine, before _you_ crashed the party." At least she had decency to keep her voice down to avoid too much unwanted attention. She marched up to them, her yellow eyes blazing and winter coat rustling, loudly. "Shouldn't you be lurking in the bushes?"

"I see you haven't changed since we last spoke," he smirked, unperturbed by Beth's temper.

"Likewise! Why are you still here? What - hasn't your Master called you to heel yet?"

That made Demetri bristle. "Mind your tone."

"Fuck you. You can't tell me what to do."

Anna sighed. _Here we go again. _"Stop it. Both of you." When Demetri stared at her, affronted, she asked again. "Why _are_ you here, Demetri?"

He gave Beth a dark look (who, naturally, retaliated in a similar manner), and turned his gaze back to Anna. His jaw was set, and it dawned on her that perhaps he was not comfortable with telling her.

She held no patience for him. "Tell us. Please."

She didn't know what to expect. She didn't _know _Demetri well enough to try and guess.

"Since you left our company, my Master has… changed."

Beth gave him a weird look. "Changed _how?_"

Demetri's jaw clenched tighter, clearly not one for discussing feelings. "He is…different. Almost unresponsive. Silent."

Beth snorted. "Sulking, more like. Because he didn't get what he wanted."

Anna digested this. "Why are you telling us this?"

"Yeah, why should _we_ care if your precious sire is having a bad day?" Beth sneered.

"He has been this way since you left, aren't you listening?" Demetri growled at her, impatiently. "And," – there he stopped, looking awkward, before carrying on. "He has your scarf, _signora._ He carries it with him always."

"What?" Anna started. "My scarf?"

"Well, that's just _creepy_," Beth droned, chuckling uneasily.

"He will be wondering what is keeping me," he muttered. "I should go. _Addio._"

Demetri took his leave. They could tell he was glad to go, but Anna hardly noticed.

_What game are you playing now, Aro?_

* * *

**Poor Anna, so oblivious, heheh. Did you like my choice of holiday destination? Heck, did you like the _chapter_? Let me know!**

**LookAliveSunshine03**


	13. Chapter 13: Brotherly intervention

**Eee! You guys must really be loving my story for it to have so many followers! Thank you so much, all of you!**

**LookAliveSunshine03**

* * *

**Chapter 13:**

**Brotherly intervention**

Night had fallen over Volterra, cool and fresh. It was a welcoming balm against what had been one the hottest days that week – and it gave the vampires the chance to have a stroll around the city, unnoticed by the sleeping humans.

But none more so than Aro. Sulpicia knew this, because he was spending less and less time with her in bed, and she was beginning to worry about him.

She and Athenodora resided almost permanently in their tower, which branched off from the floor where the Volturi's studies were. Up a narrow, winding staircase and through a locked door, and you would find the last two remaining wives of the Volturi. Their tower was warm and pleasant, filled with all manner of things to keep them appeased in their happy prison.

Because they _were _happy, locked away up there; they shared a lady-in-waiting called Corin, who, like almost all the Volturi Guard, was incredibly gifted. It was a simple gift, but a useful one nonetheless: contentment. Wherever Corin went, people smiled.

Yet Corin had to stay with Sulpicia and Athenodora at all times, because her ability had proved to have very addictive qualities – and to be without it would be potentially dangerous for the wives.

They understood why their husbands kept them here. It was for their protection against the harshness of the outside world. A labour of love.

Sulpicia watched her husband from her high window, looking out onto the beautiful garden where the sun would hit it just right. Flowers flourished here in delicate abandon – pink roses, jasmine and bluebells, to name but a few – surrounding a small lake in the centre. Aro was wandering around it now, his head bowed a little. Deep in thought.

_What troubles you, my love?_

* * *

The evening breeze ruffled Aro's hair, and played off the water in strangely peaceful ripples. The smell of the flowers around soothed him…but also reminded him painfully of her.

Seven vampires had been dispatched today; all accidental exposure, _incredible_ foolishness. There had been nothing special about any of them anyway, so they had perished without hesitation.

It was the usual, _tedious _drill. When was the last time anything exciting had happened here?

Aro sighed into the wind, feeling the odd, familiar twinge in his heart. Ah, yes. Anna had been gone exactly two months and four days. The intensity of his yearning astonished even himself – and it was beginning to show.

Before Anna, Aro had endured Sulpicia's clinging affections purely to satisfy both their libidos, and because he did not wish to hurt her feelings, but now, her presence only irritated him.

He'd even found himself imagining Anna in his _bed_ on more than one occasion. That was when the sex was best.

He felt terrible for using Sulpicia like this, but he needed _something _to curb his suffering.

And then there was Marcus. Aro had caught him looking at him with some interest over the last few weeks, watching the new bond strengthen and grow. The one attached to his heart.

He almost resented – even _hated_ herfor doing this to him. _How_ had he fallen so fast? Who was she? Yes, he had read her mind, but she was a stranger still. He didn't even know her real age. Far younger he, that was for certain.

But his feelings were undeniable. He was besotted with her, like a school boy. Her mystery, her beauty, and the way she held herself…and her gift. They all entranced him.

When Demetri had called him to report on her whereabouts, he had been unable to stop himself from asking how she was. Demetri had been nonplussed, but he'd said she had appeared unchanged, but somehow…different.

Different, how? Demetri had paused for a moment.

"It is difficult to say, Master…she was a quiet as before, but her eyes seemed…lost."

"Lost?" Aro had frowned.

"Yes. Like she was looking at the world, but not seeing it."

That had concerned him…but it also gave him a mad glimmer of hope. Oh, he remembered the way she had responded to him before Elizabeth had interrupted them. Her _eyes_ gave her away, or rather, her pupils.

So, did she feel the same way? Yes and no, perhaps. No, because she saw him as a greedy man who only wanted her gift on his side – and then he had completely overstepped the mark by touching her hand, without any warning. Aro realised now it had been a foolish thing for him to do, but he didn't regret it, not in the slightest.

Because before she'd put up her barriers, he had briefly caught sight of the real Anna behind them. One full of passion that secretly longed to be quenched.

But if only she could see it! He turned now to pace around the lake the other way, only to find he was no longer alone. Wrapped in his cloak, Marcus stood there, smiling softly.

"Ah, brother!" Aro was astonished, but only because Marcus rarely ever left his study when there weren't any vampires to take care of; let alone go outside. "Good evening!"

"Good evening, Aro," he said. "I hope I am not interrupting anything."

"Not at all," Aro insisted. "Though I am surprised to see you out here at such an hour."

"And I you," Marcus was suddenly sombre. "You seem troubled as of late, Aro. We must discuss it before it starts to affect you further."

Aro chuckled, darkly. "What is there to discuss? Anna is gone."

"Where is she?"

"Demetri met them somewhere in the North East of England."

Marcus nodded. "Something must be done."

Aro sighed. His chest suddenly felt tight, and he sat down on one of the benches bordering the garden. Looking out onto the unsettled water of the lake, he said. "I cannot bring her back, Marcus."

"Indeed." Marcus was solemn. "She is as flighty as a butterfly, and just as delicate."

Aro shook his head. "Anna" – it hurt to say her name – "possesses more mental will than any other woman I've met. She is as stubborn as a mule."

"Then that settles it," Marcus replied. "She must come to us. She has to questions that need answering, does she not?"

He came to sit beside him – and plucked Anna's scarf from his brother's jacket.

"This is quite beautiful," he commented, softly.

Aro watched the way it caught the light of the moon, glittering like vampire skin. "What do you propose we do, brother?"

Marcus just smiled. "It is simple. We give her reason to come to us."

Aro frowned, curiously. "You have a plan?"

He was struggling. All this talk of Anna thrashed at his heart like a cat-o-nine-tails. _SNACK. SNACK. _It was an agonisingly constant reminder of how far away she was, and he clenched his fists against it.

Marcus nodded, and offered him his hand. "I think you may like what I have in mind."

With some difficulty, Aro took it. What he saw made him smile, though it looked and felt more like a grimace.

Marcus was still a hopeless romantic, it seemed. In his mind's eye, Aro saw an elegant dance hall, adorned in candle light and shifting shadows, as men and women wearing black Masquerade masks danced to a slow, eerie waltz.

"When?" he whispered.

"All Hallow's Eve," Marcus replied, distantly. "That shall give us time."

_Didyme always loved dancing…_

Aro could see the deep, churning agony in those ancient eyes, but he shook away the grief that always came with his dear, late sister's name, and forced himself to focus.

"I doubt this will work, brother," he said, grunting a little. "Anna is no fool. It will take a lot more for her to return to us, than a _dance_."

Marcus gazed steadily at him. "That is only the second part of the plan."

And the unmistakable blood-red of Elizabeth's hair burst into Aro's vision, standing side-by-side with Demetri. She looked incredibly grumpy.

"What is this?" he asked, eyebrows raised. "You would have Demetri _kidnap_ her?"

"Not exactly," Marcus replied, pleasantly. "No doubt Elizabeth will have noticed a change in Anna's behaviour – what was it that Demetri said?"

"She seemed distant. Lost, even." As strange as it sounded, it still made his dead heart jump painfully inside him. _She is not the only one! _"But what does this have to do with Elizabeth?"

"Demetri can explain to her the reason why she is changed."

Aro thought. Beth seemed to dislike Demetri on sight when they met. Two similarly headstrong personalities had a habit of clashing, and despite drinking the blood of animals, Aro saw that Elizabeth seemed fiercer and wilder than any female he had ever come across.

He groaned. "She will refuse to believe him."

"Elizabeth may be wilful, brother, but her relationship with Anna is a close one," Marcus said, patiently. "She will have noticed, and will want to help her."

"Enough to ask for _his_ help?" Aro shook his head, wearily.

"Then what do you suggest?"

"I shall go to her." Aro felt a jolt in his stomach.

Marcus blinked and smiled a soft smile. "Is that wise?"

"No…but this has gone on far enough," he replied, and scrunched up his eyes. "_Mio Dio!_"

Marcus knew what he meant. The bond between mates was almost brutally short; to be apart caused real, physical pain. He should know, he felt it every single day.

"If you are sure."

Aro grimaced again. "I am. Elizabeth must know…she is the only one who can bring Anna back to us."

Marcus nodded, solemnly. His brother's anguish was palpable. "The bond is far more powerful than I anticipated." He stood up. "I shall alert the Guard. They will be pleased to hear news of the celebration. Good night, Aro."

When Marcus was gone, Aro reached into his pocket and called Demetri.

_Change of plans._

He was all too aware his wife was watching him from her window up in her tower, but right then, he didn't care.

* * *

**So it seems Aro isn't the only member of the Guard with a sneaky side, eh?**

**P.S. How many of you guys have seen the second (final *sniff*) part of 'Breaking Dawn' yet? What did you think of it?**


	14. Chapter 14: Hello, boys

**HEY YOU GUUUUYS! Thanks for everyone's reviews, particularly dEnIsE tHe StRaNgE. A review for EVERY chapter! Wow, I am touched by your dedication to my story!**

**LookAliveSunshine03**

* * *

**Chapter 14:**

**Hello, boys**

Winter was closing in, and the girls had decided to move back to France into the squat little cottage in Nice.

The phrase 'don't judge a book by its cover' couldn't be more apt for their latest lodging. On the outside it didn't look particularly appealing, with depressingly dark, slate-coloured bricks and peeling paint on the wide window frames and front door, and the garage was just big enough to fit Beth's _Punto _inside.

But Anna opened the door, and the warm smell of Sabine's favourite vanilla-scented candles wafted to greet them.

"It's like they were never gone," she sighed, almost to herself.

They went inside, out of the night air, with their suitcases clattering behind them. The ground floor was made up of one vast room, which was used as the lounge, kitchen and dining area (something the girls had no need for). A wide-screen TV dominated the west wall, with shelves of DVDs on either side of it. Bookcases stood high all around; some more full than others, because Antoine had helpfully categorised them by genre.

Through a door on the right and up the steep, curving stairway were the three bedrooms. The smell of Antoine's cologne still lingered in the largest room with a king-sized bed in the centre, and the girls' single rooms covered the east and west sides of the cottage. A comfortably-sized bathroom (again, something the girls didn't really use, except to shower) was on the left.

"_Déjà-vu_!" Beth cried, dragging her suitcase into her room. "At least we'll be staying a bit longer this time."

"I hope so," Anna murmured. The memories of their day in the company of the Volturi still whispered maliciously in the back of her mind, and her heart felt swollen and sore in her chest. She didn't know why, and that bothered her.

She tried unpacking as a way of keeping herself busy – but her thirst was making things difficult.

_I should have hunted before we left. _Anna sighed. She knew she had to, but she found she didn't have the energy for it. Truthfully, she just wanted to curl up into a ball, and sleep, if that were possible.

Hanging up the last of Sabine's summer dresses back in its wardrobe (there wasn't enough room in her own, unfortunately. She would have to have a sort out soon), Anna found Beth in her room. Dressed in an old hoodie of one of her favourite bands, she was perched on her bed, writing in her sketchbook.

· _Aro – reads the memories of those he touches_

· _Caius – about as approachable as a bad-tempered puma (is that a gift?)_

· _Marcus - ?_

· _Demetri – awesome tracker!_

· _Jane -__ ? Can torture people with her mind!_

· _Unknown female vampire (likes to smile) – makes you feel happy_

· _Unknown male vampire (could be Jane's brother?) Alec - ? can numb people's senses_

A cool breeze was playing with her red hair from the window beside her, and hearing Anna approach, Beth looked up with a smile…before seeing her black eyes.

She groaned. "Christ Anna, you need to –"

"Hunt, I know." Beth blamed her snappy tone on the thirst. It made you crabby as hell – but Anna had been that way a _lot_ lately, ever since leaving Whitby.

"Hm. Okay. You keep leaving it to the last minute these days," she observed, and shut her book gently. "What's happened, Anna? You were always so careful about keeping your thirst in check."

Rubbing at her burning throat, Anna swallowed. "I don't know what's happened." She shuddered a little, which troubled Beth further. "But I feel…strange."

Anna rarely ever spoke out if she was suffering. Alarm bells were starting to ring in Beth's ears. "Strange, how? Are you ill?" She paused. "Wait, can vampires _get_ ill?"

Anna shook her head, smiling despite herself. "Don't be silly."

"So what, then? Define _strange_."

"Oh, Beth," Anna swallowed, and Beth noticed how deflated she looked. "I can't describe it. I feel like something important has gone from me. I feel…empty."

"That's the lack of blood talking," Beth laughed, but the hug she gave her showed she was worried too. "Go on. Go hunt. I'll even unpack your stuff for you, so it looks like I've got something to do."

She was relieved when Anna laughed, though it sounded closer to a sob. _Shit. What's _wrong_ with her?_ "Okay. Thank you, Beth."

Then she was gone, down the stairs and shutting the front door softly behind her.

"Shit," Beth murmured to the empty room.

She was suddenly furious. Ever since that creep _Demetri _came and ruined their holiday, two weeks ago, Anna had changed, and definitely not for the better.

It was as if they had stepped into a time machine and gone back two years…except there was no blood lust for Beth to endure this time, thank God…

She remembered how it was Anna who had found her in a filthy London alleyway, coughing out tearless sobs of disgust; a dead hobo at her feet. And _still _the thirst had refused to quit! Anna had sympathised, of course. Hadn't she felt the same, after she had completed the Change?

Yet the difference between them was that, while Anna had grown to live with killing humans for her survival, Beth had downright _refused _ time she did it, it had felt wrong, like eating dirt. So, while Anna had curiously looked on in the background, she had searched for an alternative, scoping rural areas for deer.

Hunting animals had been difficult to begin with. Her new, primal instincts constantly battled with what was left of her stubborn humanity, but as the new-born months trickled by, she had been delighted to find she'd _wanted _to hunt for animals more and more, particularly pumas. They were a speedy challenge…and she enjoyed winning the race.

Anna had been fascinated, but Antoine and Darius – _especially _Darius – had openly ridiculed her for it. She remembered May that following year. The whole "family" had been together for one, infrequent night, just watching TV, like an ordinary human unit. She'd talked (with great pride) about how she'd managed to out-match a fully-grown mountain lion that day.

"You are _not_ a vampire," Darius had sneered suddenly, jerking a finger towards her new, amber eyes that she had started to warm to. He had said it like it was an insult. _Pah_. She just thanked him sweetly, and had gone back to following Jonathan Harker into Transylvania.

That had been the first time she heard Anna laugh. Actually, before shooting Darius down like that, Anna had not even said a single word to Beth. She clearly liked to be alone, which Beth had respected, but she was curious about her.

Whenever she wasn't feeding (which, let's face it, _had_ to be frequent during those horrible new-born months), Beth would watch Anna, trying to wean some information about her from her actions. She'd noticed that she would sit in the same place for hours on end, maybe watching _University Challenge_; maybe doing some sketching, maybe reading. One of her many favourite books was _Pride and Prejudice_, another was _Jane Eyre_, which had made Beth wonder if Anna was perhaps from around that time period.

She'd asked Sabine about it. She remembered how she had sidled up to her, two weeks after Anna had laughed at her. God, she'd felt like a nervous child about to ask if she could have more pocket money that night. Sabine had been knitting a scarf for her, sitting regally in the armchair opposite the TV. The immense length of the scarf had been coiled on her lap and around her feet, like a gigantic purple python. She still had that scarf somewhere.

"Hey, Sabine," Beth had murmured, too quiet for the rest of the coven to hear. "Can I…ask you something?"

"Of course," Sabine had said, glancing at her, and smiling serenely.

"When… was Anna born?"

How daft she had sounded, but Sabine had only smiled that soft, radiant smile again.

"1896, _cherie._"

Beth had expected it, but to hear it out loud, it was still a shock to her. Anna was so…_young. _She had whispered her thanks, and had left Sabine alone. Anna had been watching her, inquisitively, the entire time.

Because after that little incident with Darius, Anna the Wallflower had begun to observe Beth as well. Despite her impossible age (at the time, she had been about a hundred and twelve), Anna was painfully shy, having grown up in a society where women were expected to be quiet, and being so timid, she had had no friends of her own, so had had no one to talk to. But it was Beth's easy-going nature that slowly brought her out of herself, at long last.

They were watching a film one night, all sat around the lounge like mannequins in a shop. Anna had deduced that this particular film was a favourite a Beth's, because she had been miming to every piece of dialect that was spoken, with a huge grin on her face.

Anna had moved from her post, curled up on the floor, to sit beside her on the sofa. Beth had stopped then, worried she might moan at her for doing it. Instead, Anna asked her this.

"Exactly how many times have you watched this film?"

Beth had blinked. _Holy shit, she speaks!_ With a small smile unfurling on her lips, like she was amused by the amount of times she'd seen a Scarecrow dance, she had counted on her fingers.

"About….forty-fives times?"

From that night on, they slowly became firm friends. Beth was quite the extrovert as it turned out, and had quite the acidic tongue when Darius was concerned, which had made Anna like her even more. Beth often said the things she wouldn't dare say to him aloud; with him, it seemed they had a common hatred.

Soon, she'd trusted her enough to confide in her about her deep secret that she was sure only Antoine knew about. The sorrow and guilt that ran deep, like a knife wound to her frozen heart; still raw, almost a century on. Being a man, Antoine hadn't understood it, not really, but Beth took no pride in the knowledge. It was obvious that Anna was probably what they called 'damaged goods', and Beth knew that she had a responsibility as her friend to stay with her no matter what happened to them.

But now, two years on, she had no idea what was wrong. She sighed noisily, unpacking the last of Anna's things. Anna _had_ been healing from her heartbreak. She had _seen_ it! Especially with Darius dead, Anna had been giggling more, and disappearing inside her head less, and now _DEMETRI _had gone and spoilt it all, with those two sentences.

_"__He has your scarf, _signora_. He carries it with him always."_

Didn't serial killers keep pretty objects belonging to their victims as souvenirs?

Beth growled aloud. She had _told_ Anna it was a bad idea going to the Volturi, and _now _look where they were. She could feel Demetri's eyes on her now, watching her like a hawk; wherever the hell he was lurking.

It was enough to make her skin crawl. Her anger was pounding through her temples, like a bad dub-step track and a marching band combined.

"Fuck it," she hissed, and left the room quietly. No need to alert his attention yet. She slipped on her glamour, knowing that would fog up his ability to track her. Good. _Brilliant_. The wide window in her room was open to greet her, and she ducked through it, landing softly on the patchy grass below.

The view here was magnificent, looking down into the little town hidden beneath the hill the cottage stood upon, all lit up in the night. The wind had picked up, making it easier for her to find Demetri's scent. _Excellent._

He was nearby. He smelt of pine needles and some expensive cologne that made her nostrils tingle, threateningly. _Oh God, don't sneeze _now_!_

Scrunching up her nose, Beth moved round the cottage as swiftly of a shadow, with her feet barely making marks in the still-soft ground from the recent rain.

It was only when she faced the patch of trees behind the cottage, did she catch another scent, too delicate for a human's. She froze.

The familiar smell of peppermint and leather, most likely from the cover of an old book.

_What. The. Fuck?! _Beth's anger was gone, only to be swapped for white shock that filled her head, like the solid mist back at Whitby.

Well, she couldn't turn back now. _Aro _was waiting for her.

_Why is he here? Hmmm. _She could probably guess…

She found them sat in one of the bigger trees in the little forest (if you could call it that. It was more like a big garden centre in Beth's eyes). They both wore black, though Aro stood out most of all, because of his creepy, see-through skin and the silver clip in his hair, shining in the tepid sunlight. They both looked like two supermodels, posing for an unorthodox autumn photo shoot for a magazine that considers itself 'out there', or whatever the hell that meant.

_Focus, woman!_

They were deep in discussion, but even though Beth still had her invisible glamour on, she hid behind a tree. Just in case.

"Master," Demetri was saying. "If she is indeed who you claim her to be, why hasn't she returned to us?"

"Because she does not understand," Aro answered, softly. "Not yet."

This seemed to puzzle Demetri quite a bit. "But she feels the affects of it?"

"Oh yes," Aro smiled grimly. "As I do."

_Affects of what?_

"And how does it feel, Master?"

Beth gasped, as Aro gazed off into the distance, inches from where she hid. His eyes were crinkled slightly, as if something unsettled him. Probably the affects of whatever they were talking about.

At last, he replied. "Like the worst pain imaginable."

That stirred something in her memory, spoken in Antoine's voice – but she couldn't trace when and what about.

"But, forgive me for asking, Master," Demetri said, frowning. "But what of my Lady?"

Aro's face clouded over. "What of her?"

_Yikes._

_"_If you are to pursue this woman –"

Aro sighed, and Beth was suddenly struck by how tired he looked. _Double yikes._ "I recognize that, Demetri. She will not take the news well." He smiled blithely. "But I cannot cast her out. It would destroy her."

Demetri looked troubled. "Then you must –"

"Yes." Aro's eyes dropped to his bent knees. "Sulpicia will not give me up without a struggle."

_What? _Beth was confused…then she realised. The shock was like a hammer smashing through her skull.

**_THE WORST PAIN IMAGINABLE. _**The memory exploded, firework-like into her head, and she shivered with its force…

* * *

_Sabine had gone somewhere, probably shoe-shopping, and Beth recalled how agitated Antoine had been in her absence, waiting at the window of their home in Dartmoor._

_"__One day, Beth," he had smiled at her; so sadly, she had given him a hug. "You will meet someone you will never be able to function without."_

_That had horrified her. "You mean…like a mate?"_

_He had nodded. "I am not exaggerating when I say to be apart from them is the worst pain imaginable."_

_Her answer was firm and simple. "Well, then I will never have one."_

* * *

It wasn't possible. Aro was _wrong_. Anna couldn't be his – his _mate_. Ha! It was ridiculous! Obviously he was going senile with old age.

Yet, as much as Beth hated to, she found herself considering it. Aro was suffering, was he? Huh. What a coincidence, so was Anna.

_Oh my God, am I actually doing this? _She thought, wearily. _Do I really believe this crazy story?_

There was only one way to know. With a groan, Beth let her glamour slip off, and she stepped out into Aro and Demetri's lines of sight.

"Hello, boys."

* * *

**Beth is such a drama queen! Tell me what you think :D**


	15. Chapter 15: An unexpected invitation

**Chapter 15:**

**An unexpected invitation**

Demetri hissed at her, and stretched himself in front of Aro, like a human – _vampire _shield. Seeing this act of selflessness, Beth rolled her eyes. But she came forward with her hands up in surrender, just in case.

"Relax, noble servant," she said, clearly. "I mean your Master _no_ harm."

Demetri scrutinised her, not trusting her.

She glared right back. "Jeez! If I did, I would have done so by now."

When he still did not move, Aro spoke to him quietly in Italian (Beth recognised the word for 'safe'), and Demetri obediently withdrew…reluctantly.

"There," she deadpanned, crossing her arms over her chest. "That wasn't so hard, was it?"

Aro gave one of his unnerving chuckles, which made the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. It wasn't because she was cold, either, though the evening was quite chilly tonight.

"It is good to see you again, Elizabeth."

She visibly bristled like an angry cat, when he stepped off his perch and abruptly landed on the forest floor in front of her. In the cerulean night, their pale white skin seemed to glow ominously, as if stolen from the moon itself; against his jet-black hair and suit, Aro looked all the more impressive…and intimidating. But Beth was bold and stayed put, unfazed.

"I wish I could say the same."

"How do you fare?"

_Oh my God. _Now _that_ fazed her. Beth stared at him. Here he was, _trespassing_ on her land, _invading _her space, and now he was asking how she _was_?

"Well, I have to say I'm not _too_ pleased about this unexpected visit. Shouldn't you – I dunno – be enforcing vampire law, or something? I hear that job of yours is pretty hard-core."

Aro's teeth flashed in the gloom. "It is nothing Caius cannot handle."

_How convenient. _This inane small-talk was getting boring, so she went ahead and cut to the chase. "Anna isn't here, Aro." She too bared her teeth, in an very unapologetic, feral grin. "_So _sorry for the wasted journey."

"She's out hunting in the town," Demetri cut in smoothly, with more than a slight sneer. "She will be returning in eleven minutes."

Beth glared up at him with a look that could freeze a toasty werewolf. He didn't even flinch.

"Wonderful." Aro's face brightened. "However, I had not intended on speaking with _her_, my dear."

Beth blinked. "What, me?" She narrowed her eyes at him. "Wait…this is still about Anna, isn't it?"

Aro smiled. "What do you think?"

_Sweet Jesus. Not this again! _She sighed. "She will not be used as some pretty weapon – you don't need _me_ to tell you that."

Aro nodded. "Hm. I believe we established that in our previous meeting."

Incredulous, Beth frowned at him. "Then _why_ are you here?"

"Anna. You know her as well as yourself. You know when her moods change," he said this abruptly, like it was tumbling out of his mouth, lumps of murky confession she knew not what about. "When something is wrong."

Beth gave him a weird look. _God, now what's he getting at? _"Maybe I do. Maybe I don't. I had the impression this discussion has nothing to do with me."

Aro smiled softly. He could see the uncertain way her eyes snapped from his face to the empty space just to the right of him. This was a step in the right direction.

"But why are you asking me about this?" She demanded, raising her eyebrows in challenge. "Because she's your mate?"

His eyes widened a fraction.

The trees rustled loudly around them.

Then he murmured, "It is very rude to eavesdrop."

Beth barked a short laugh. "And it's very rude to talk about other people behind their back too. But you seem _fine_ about that."

"How much did you hear?"

She set her jaw. "Not much. Enough to know you think you're mated to my friend."

Aro slowly nodded. "And what say you to that?"

Beth paused, twisting her lip. "I can't say I have much knowledge of the rituals in vampire mating."

All this time, still stood high up in his tree, Demetri had not moved a muscle. Then, a waft of a breeze whispering around them, suddenly, seemed to divert his attention from their tense exchange. He turned his head, it twitching like a bird of prey's, and he sniffed…

But whatever it was on the air was not about to cause any trouble, apparently, because he was soon a statue once more.

Nevertheless, Beth on high alert now. Sure enough, she could hear light footsteps, distant, but moving closer, up the steep hill towards the house.

_Hello, Anna._

She started, when Aro suddenly stiffened before her. He uttered something, perhaps to himself, and she had to replay it in her head to make sure she'd heard it correctly.

"She is near."

Beth stared at him, amazed. He inhaled Anna's scent like a man starved of both food and water (which he was, technically), only to be given a marvellous banquet. Her scent was the one thing he had been craving to taste since they had parted. Jasmine and a tropical fruit he couldn't place.

Heaven.

Then, her voice. Soft as the moonlight's rays, further setting his dead heart aglow. "Beth? Are you out here?"

"Yeah," Beth replied, sighing. "And I hate to inform you, but we have guests."

She emerged from the trees, like a goddess, at one with the night. Her long hair flew around her face in unruly, black-as-midnight curls, and her eye sparked like stars; wide and cautious. Anyone else would have thought she was afraid then, like a doe sensing a trap, but she was not.

When she saw Aro, standing there with a delighted smile on his perfect face, she stiffened. "Aro…"

That emptiness in her chest suddenly burned red-hot inside her, making her wince in pain.

"Hello, my dear," he smiled. "It has been too long."

In that ridiculous suit and immaculate hair of his, he couldn't look any more out of place, here in the trees. All memories him surged to the surface of her mind; him touching her hand sent ice-white knives of anger slicing up her insides – which were churned up into something disquieting with the intense way he stared at her now.

"You're here." she whispered.

Beth could see she was struggling. And she couldn't seem to stop staring at Aro. _Oh my God. Maybe it _is_ true._

Then Anna's face darkened, like a thunder cloud. "I suppose you have come to take me back to Volterra, haven't you?"

Her low-burning anger set him alight. He couldn't stay away now. He had to tell her the truth.

"No, my dear. But -" In a blink of an eye, Aro was in front of her, hands on her bare shoulders. Her eyes widened. "I must… speak with you." He glanced pointedly at Beth, who twitched, like he'd poked her with a very large stick. "Alone."

Her reply was immediate. "No. Whatever you have to say can be said in front of Beth."

Aro sighed. "As you wish."

And he leaned in, and kissed her.

Beth's mouth fell opened with a click of her jaw bone. _Whoa! No way! _She wanted Anna to resist, to push him roughly away – that would make things a whole lot less complicated to deal with – but she knew she wouldn't. Not now. Feeling incredibly awkward, she looked away. She had no place in this little moment, after all.

Anna froze, stunned. _I am being kissed by Aro, of the Volturi. _His lips, though they appeared as hard as stone like the rest of him, were actually…soft, like sheets of satin, moving hesitantly over hers.

_Ahhh…_

She shivered. Her power flared at his contact – but she could feel something far stronger swelling like a balloon inside her, filling her up with molten heat, from the very base of her spine to the top of her head. It felt magnificent.

So, she kissed him back. Shyly revelling in the powerful way he held her, as if trying to imprint himself onto her skin, like a permanent tattoo. She realised, with a painfull rush of revelation, Tom had ever kissed her like this before. He had always handled her like she would shatter like a china doll, at the slightest touch.

Aro inwardly rejoiced when she responded. Her thoughts flew through his mind, full of bashful desire. Her lips, like flower petals brushing his. The lust inside him seemed to explode, and he dared to bury his hands in those gorgeous curls of hers, to feed that hunger after starving in these last three, never-ending months.

She gasped at his touch, but he did not stop teasing her mouth. It was too soon for that. If he kept going, he was sure he wouldn't be able to stop…

Though this moment felt like a thousand moments all rolled into one for them, for Demetri and Beth it was barely a discomfited second before Anna and Aro released each other.

"That should answer a few burning questions. Here," he whispered, and he took something white out of pocket, and placed it gently into her hand. "I would be so pleased if you came."

On the sidelines, Beth flushed at how wrong that sounded in her head.

Anna tore her gaze away from him long enough (_I have just kissed this complicated man_) to look at what he had just given her. An envelope addressed to both Beth and herself.

"What is it?" she asked, quietly.

He smiled. "An invitation…to a Halloween Ball. Open it."

When she did, panic ripped through her. Gold lettering flashed coolly up her, telling her of Aro's intentions. She swallowed. She had always hated dances as a human, and though she hadn't been to one since, she doubted that had changed.

"Will you come?"

_NO,_ was the unspoken word on Beth's lips, as Anna glanced at her. She swallowed. Here was Aro, asking her to join him back at Volterra, to dance, _in the presence of his wife_, and Beth clearly did not wish to return there.

But he had kissed her with a passion that was slowly sinking into her bones. And she wanted more.

"I shouldn't…I don't…"

"It will be a Masquerade Ball," he murmured, calmly. "No one will recognise you." His eyes were bright with desire that was equal to hers. "Please."

"Why should we go?" Beth snapped, rudely breaking their moment at last.

Aro looked at her square in the face. "Do you not believe Anna is my mate, still?" His gaze softened when he looked to Anna again (who stared at him in absolute astonishment), and motioned to her. "See how happy she looks in my company."

Beth jerked her head back, as if he had struck her. "You think you can win her over? She will never join you." Her eyes moved to fix steadily on her best friend. "Will you?"

She sounded bold and sure, yet Aro saw how her tense shoulders sagged with relief when Anna shook her head. "No."

_That will change._

"It is but one night," he reasoned, for the sake of both women. "That is all I ask. Just one night."

Anna swallowed, but the hooded look in her eyes told Beth she had already made her decision. Her heart sank, painfully, to the very soles of her sneakers.

"Alright. I will come." When Aro beamed, her voice became firm. "But _only _for one night."

"Of course." He reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Till then…farewell."

* * *

***Gasp* So, whaddaya think?! Reviews, please!**


	16. Chapter 16: What are friends for?

**Anna's definitely got some explaining to do, hasn't she? **

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Anything you don't recognise is all mine.**

**LookAliveSunshine03**

* * *

**Chapter 16:**

**What are friends for?**

Aro and Demetri drifted away without another word, carried off by the night breeze. His soft, retreating smile – especially for Anna – lit up the dark, like a crescent moon.

Then time seemed to start again.

"Well!" Beth barked. "That was certainly unexpected."

She was already stamping off in those killer boots of hers, before Anna woke up out of shock. In her anger, she sounded more like a fairy-tale giant than a petite woman of about five feet.

Anna was running after her before even considering it. Compared to her ice-cold skin, the chill breeze felt almost warm against her bare collar-bone and arms. "Beth, wait! Please!"

Her legs felt lifeless, like rubber bands too loose to be of any real use, and Anna almost stumbled. The invitation to Aro's Ball was still in her hand.

_He called me his mate. Is it true?_

Her lips still burned with his kiss, a branding mark. Tellingly, the idea made her insides tighten lusciously all at once; hot and cold. She swallowed. _Oh, Lord. What am I to do?_

She found Beth, busy pacing back and forth in front of the house, but to Anna, she seemed to stalk, rather like a tigress around an invisible enclosure. Her red hair flashed with every turn she took, glossy and sleek. Dangerous.

She held back, waiting for her friend to calm down.

Beth had thought about going back into the house, but was too afraid of breaking something. Anna saw she'd already inadvertently punched a hole in one of the neighbouring trees…

Because her poor head was screaming, too full of rage and hurt to keep her body still. _I'm losing her! _

Truth be told, she could probably handle the idea of them going their separate ways. Never mind her own independence, it would mean Anna really could be by herself, without spiralling into depression again.

But to become a Volturi's wife?

_She promised she wouldn't go, _the quiet, pathetic voice in her head Beth always considered to be the angel on her shoulder mumbled, wounded.

Common sense chipped in. _What about Sulpicia? Isn't _she_ his wife? His _mate?

Oh, yeah. Beth snorted, still pacing. It appeared Aro had forgotten about _that _little detail, when he'd decided to suck on her friend's face. _Oops. _Grinning like she did, her teeth appeared to be bared; the tigress about to growl.

But that made her think. If Aro was right, and Anna really was his mate, _where_ did that leave Sulpicia? Beth had been telling the truth when she'd told Aro she knew nothing about vampire mating rituals.

Was it a matter of choice, or was it fate? She scowled at the thought. How clichéd.

Still, she sincerely hoped – _prayed_ – it wasn't true, because she certainly knew of the after effects of finding a soul-mate. It was the reason why she had never considered doing it.

Sabine had always submitted to Antoine, to the point where it had been absolutely _sickening_, though Beth had never let on about it. They couldn't help it. They'd loved each other. Full stop.

Beth shook her head. _No, that wasn't just it. _

That bond of love was one hell of a short leash; to be apart was enough to cause both vampires real, _physical_ pain – and Anna had certainly been feeling that these past few months. Beth had just been too blind and reluctant to address why until now.

Agitated and bored of pacing, she violently collapsed in a heap before the house. She scrunched up her hair with her fists, with her head between her knees. _I am a terrible friend!_

Here she was, feeling sorry for herself, and Anna was probably having a spectacular meltdown to end all meltdowns. Possibly a stroke.

But what had she been thinking? _Had _she been thinking? Kissing the man who would have her in his Guard, uncovering gifted vampires for him like a trained Springer spaniel, if he had his way.

Then_, _even _further_ against her better judgement, Anna had just agreed to go to Aro's imbecilic little _Ball. _ Yet, as much as that stung, Beth knew she couldn't just abandon her because of it. That wasn't fair. That wasn't something friends did.

She groaned. "I'm all about the clichés today…"

"What?"

Beth lifted her head up, and smiled wryly. Anna had successfully snuck up on her, rather like a ninja. She stood warily in the shadows, her red eyes like rubies glinting in the night.

Beth shrugged. "Just monologuing."

"Have you calmed down yet?"

"More or less. You're safe."

Anna heard the irony in her voice, and took it as a good sign. She sat down with a lot more elegance than Beth had, and then let all rip.

"You must… truly despise me right now."

Beth blinked at her. "No, I would never do that." She sighed heavily. "I'm not particularly _happy_ with you right now, but I could never hate you."

"Oh. That's reassuring." Beth couldn't tell if she was joking or not, though her tone suggested it. She was worrying her lip between her teeth, and in her baggy vest top and jeans, Anna suddenly looked younger than she had ever been – or maybe it was the look of utter terror on her face that did the trick.

_Yup. A stroke is imminent, people._

"Why did you do it?" The bleak tone in Beth's voice startled even her.

"Why did I do what? There are two things you are displeased about." Anna hugged her arms against her chest, nipping at the bare skin on her forearms with pale fingers, and twisting the skin so cruelly, Beth half-expected it to bruise.

She had never seen Anna do this before, and wondered if, perhaps, this was another one of her old, human habits. A form of self-punishment, maybe?

Beth sighed. _Always so precise. _"Okay…why did you kiss Aro?"

It probably wasn't the most important question to ask, but she was genuinely had no idea how Anna would answer.

And according to the look of bewilderment on her face, Anna didn't either. "He called me his mate."

"So I heard." Beth frowned, suddenly realising something. "Is _that _why you want us to go back to Volterra?"

_Partly, _an unfamiliar voice whispered in her head."Yes. Maybe they can give me answers."

"About what?"

"About what it is to be a mate."

Beth gave her a weird look. "That's stupid. Don't you trust your own instincts?"

Anna groaned. Actually _groaned. _"That is the problem. I do."

_Holy shit! _Beth head was starting to hurt. "So…you _are_ going to Volterra to be with him."

"I said I would, it would be rude not to," She murmured, not exactly answering the question, which just confirmed Beth's fears. "But you are forgetting something."

"What?"

"Aro is married."

Beth snorted, unable to stop herself. "So? That didn't stop him making a move on you." She bit her tongue to keep herself from hurting her more. _And likewise. _

Anna was feeling bad enough without her piling on _more_ guilt.

"I know. But he wouldn't dare do anything like that in her company!"

_Sure, _Beth rolled her eyes a little. She gritted her teeth. "You're just finding excuses to go back."

"Then you believe I am Aro's true mate?"

Beth bridled against the accusatory tone of her voice. "You're definitely swaying me that way. Do you?"

"I don't know yet."

But it was a lie, and they both knew it. The emptiness that had been pervading Anna for months had simply…vanished, when she had been with Aro. And now since his sudden departure, it was back again, roaring gleefully through her insides. She hissed through her teeth with it.

Beth sighed noisily. "So! I guess we have some shopping to do, don't we?"

Anna stared at her, stunned. "We? You're…coming too?"

"Duh. 'Course I am," Beth chuckled, though none of the humour reached her eyes. "I'm not about to leave you alone with the Volturi now, am I?

_She's going to be keeping a watch on me, _Anna realised. It was strangely comforting, despite the ominous overtones.

She smiled. "Thank you."

Beth just grunted.

* * *

The Volturi private jet sliced through the indigo clouds like a silver knife. A beautiful night. But everything looked and felt beautiful to Aro at the moment.

He lounged in one of the white-as-cream window seats, languidly swirling a snifter of blood around in a glass better designed for whisky. He smiled serenely in the silence.

She had kissed him! If he were human, his heart would have been pounding with glorious joy, but all he felt was a soaring dizziness he had never felt before. But it was good enough for him, so he revelled in it, basking in the memory of the look on her face.

The way her perfect mouth formed his name on her luscious lips. They had tasted like fresh blood and strawberries, and her desire had fuelled his own, until he felt like he would burst with it.

Demetri, who was manning the plane as he relaxed, had voiced his own doubts, as they returned home. Aro had longed to stay with her, of course, but he doubted Elizabeth would have allowed it.

She was the problem. She would try to talk Anna out of going to his Ball, believing she would be doing it for her friend's benefit.

He would have to ask for Chelsea's help with that…but, for now he just wanted to think about Anna. Before he had to face the reality of Sulpicia and her pestering.

Sighing, Aro finished the last of his drink, and reclined his chair, ready for some serious…daydreaming.

* * *

**Aro, you dirty boy, haha! Reviews! **


	17. Chapter 17: A letter from the dead

**Hello! Hope you all had a great Christmas! It always turns me into a complete and utter ****_kid_****again, so I was stupidly happy all day that day. :P**

**Just before the New Year is upon us, I'd thought I'd better get my act together and finish this chapter. It was quite a stubborn one, I have to say, as I chose to write from an 18th century-man's hand, as you will soon discover - but once I got into it, I got the hang of it!**

**I hope I pulled it off alright!**

**LookAliveSunshine03**

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**Chapter 17:**

**A letter from the dead**

The weeks that followed were hectic for both the Volturi, and the last remaining members of Antoine Jean's coven. As it was his brain-child, Aro left most of the Ball's organising to Marcus, which then kept him from moping in his study when they weren't deciding the fates of the vampires who 'visited' them, so that was all the more beneficial.

Sulpicia had not anticipated Aro's little visit to Nice, and as he had expected, she had bombarded him with questions almost as soon as he'd stepped over home's threshold. He had told the truth, but only part of it: an old friend he had not seen for a while (three months felt like an entire lifetime away from Anna these days) was to be invited to the Haloween Ball, and Aro had felt it only cordial he gave it to them personally.

Thankfully, the thought of having an excuse to buy a new dress had prevented Sulpicia from asking anymore questions. She was very predictable in that way, and Aro was glad. Let her see for herself how much their bond had eroded into nothing that night. That had to be enough proof, surely.

Meanwhile, Anna and Beth stayed in Nice for the time being, living life as normal, as well as going shopping for the Ball. Beth still wasn't entirely pleased about going – but she had to admit, no matter what the occasion, she thoroughly enjoyed shopping about as much as the next girl.

They were watching rubbish daytime TV in French one afternoon, though Anna seemed more interested in her old, battered copy of _Jane Eyre_than finding out who shot Pascal_. _Beth watched her out of the corner of her was choosing to read with her eyes rather than her hands, as per usual, and that made her smile a little sadly_._

_On the outside, she hasn't changed…but on the inside?_

They had gone over Aro and his Ball enough times, to the point where bringing up the subject again made Beth want to throw something at Anna's head. It **sucked** having a friend who was almost as stubborn as you were, sometimes.

Anna wanted to go back to Volterra. There was doubt in Beth's mind about that…she just didn't know _why _she did.

Her theories, like all her random, ample thoughts, were jotted down in her notebook, on the other side of her list of Volturi members and their powers.

_There's something About Anna…_

_She intends on going back to the lions' den, and the lions (i.e. ARO) are more than happy to see her come back. Why?_

**_Most likely reason:_**_ she wants answers. She likes being in the dark the way cats enjoy having a bath. Is she really Aro's 'soul-mate'? And if so, what will Sulpicia make of this? _

**_The reason I really DON'T want to think about:_**_ She has already accepted the idea of being Aro's mate, and wants to spend more time with him, dancing the night away like Cinderella and her Prince Charming. Eek. Ditto. _

**_What will _****_I _****_do about it? _**_If she's…happy in Aro's company, should I stop her, just because I don't like him? No, that hardly seems fair, and the last I saw of them together, she looked pretty damned HAPPY. Surprised, but very happy._

_Did __**Antoine**__ know about any of this before he Changed Anna?_

* * *

It was times like this Beth really wished she had spoken to Antoine more often. Sure, their relationship had been warm, but only about as warm as a father-daughter-bond could be after said father had forced her to become a blood-thirsty carnivore, eternally trapped in an adolescent's body.

_Yeah, _cheers_ for that Dad._

It was only two days before they returned to Volterra, when she finally plucked up the courage to look through Antoine's journals, even though her whiny shoulder angel conjured up many ethical reasons why not to. She herself had had ghastly experiences with a certain **_someone_** reading her own journals, though it was for his own vindictive amusement, rather than significant 'research'.

That sense of exposure and vulnerability still cut her deep now – despite the culprit being finally lured into Volterra and turned to ash about three months ago, of course.

Beth grinned.

It felt… necessary to read Antoine's diaries. What had he seen before Anna was Changed? Hurrying up the stairs to his room, she hoped he would have recorded it.

No such luck. It seemed that certain **_someone _**had decided to tear the most important part out – and Antoine had not been one to destroy _anything_ he meticulously recorded.

Beth almost threw the fragile, little diary away in disgust. "_Damn you, Darius_!"

Anna, who had been sketching downstairs, in her favourite part of the sofa nearest the door, glanced up in surprise.

"What's the matter, Beth?"

Her friend's reply sounded like it was being forced through clenched teeth. "Come up, and I'll show you!"

Anna frowned. Even in death, Darius proved to be an absolute menace.

She found Beth sat on the flat iceberg that was Antoine and Sabine's bed. She was glaring at a small, leather-bound book like it just insulted her, using the worst words ever existed. The date shone, dull and tarnished in the pale glow of the room, and the penny dropped.

"Oh."

Beth snorted.

"Yes. _Oh_."

"Dare I ask what you were searching for?" She had a pretty good idea, but she wanted to hear Beth admit it, just to be prepared for whatever may follow. Beth was never one for giving up on something once she had started.

Glancing up, Beth looked a little sheepish. "I, um, I wanted to know if Antoine had seen if there was anything to do with Aro in your future…you know," she twisted her lip, awkwardly. "Before he made you a vampire."

So, she was right after all. Anna nodded. "Yes. I do too."

"Awesome," Beth murmured, unhappily. "Would he have mentioned about his vision again, do you think?"

Anna came to sit beside her, plucking the diary from her lap. "I do not know, but I suppose there is only one way to find out."

Her intention was to look through _all_ the diaries after 1914, much to Beth's bewilderment, but upon looking in Antoine's bookcase, she found something that saved them all the trouble.

"Hey Anna, look!"

It seemed that, a month prior to them leaving his and Sabine's company, Antoine had felt the need to write them a letter. A _three-page_ letter, to be exact, folded into a perfect, tiny square between diaries 2008 and 2009.

"Someone had a lot to say, eh?"

Huddled together on the bed, they deciphered Antoine's looping, close-knit scrawl…written completely in French. It was a good thing he had taught them to speak it fluently, or they would have never found out some incredibly crucial information…

* * *

_Dearest Anna and Beth,_

_It has only been one month since you left to travel, and Sabine and I already miss you. Where have you been? What have you seen? I look forward to hearing about your adventures when you return – though there is no need for you to hurry, on my account._

_Beth, I know you will continue to watch over Anna without my asking so. My child, you have done what I could not in little over a year, befriending her and, most importantly, getting her to talk and __laugh__ again after almost a century of silence. I am as proud as a father could be, but also envious of you for doing it so easily, and with a natural, calm patience I could never possess! _

_Anna, you do not know how magnificent it was to see you smile again, watching you walk out our front door. I am dreadfully sorry for not caring for you further in our years together, but I became so focused on finding my dear Sabine, that I am guilty of forgetting you. I am so very sorry. When you eventually find your mate, you will understand. They become your whole world. But that is still no excuse for ignoring you. _

_Will you ever forgive me for neglecting you so selfishly?_

_Do you know where are you going? Beth was rather unclear on the details. Is it because you thought I would follow you? I sincerely hope not! Am I truly __that__ awful? _

_Perhaps I shall keep this letter for my own purposes, until – or if – you return. Beth, you will be proud of me, writing down my thoughts. One would think I have been in the company of females for too long… but with that in mind, I have a few confessions to make. _

_Firstly, as I am sure you are aware, I regret asking Darius to join me. His power is too great, and as for his behaviour towards you, Anna! I can only apologise profusely. Though he has now left our company, I am left still uneasy. As I am sure Beth would say, he is rather like a spider. The fear is not necessarily in seeing him – it is when he disappears that we should be concerned. Have you heard from him at all? Be sure to tell me if you do. I feel an alarming amount of responsibility to keep track of him, for your sakes. Alas, I know now I should have killed him when I had the chance…but with that power of his, I was defenceless against it. Only you can do it, Anna. Only you._

_This leads on to my next confession: the Volturi. There is so much you do not know about my past, and for that, I am sorry. You wonder why I send letters off every year to a mysterious address, well, now I will tell you. They were for Lord Aro, their leader, my good friend, and my creator, in which I left the company of three years before I met you, dear Anna. I was happy in his service…but I became lonely. I needed a mate by my side, and though he was sad to see me go, he understood. I did not bargain having to wait for so long for the perfect woman to cross my path, but I maintained our contact through letters, speaking highly of my growing family._

_Now, for my final confession. With Darius gone, I am left with a cold, cautious feeling in my soul. Do you feel it too? It is as if he is crouching in the shadows, waiting. I do not know what for, but I was looking through my old diaries yesterday, and discovered something. My entry for 14 May, 1914 has strangely disappeared. Odd, yes? It seems Darius did not want someone to read about what I saw the night I met you, Anna._

_Then I shall tell you what I saw. It is time you knew. The vision was short, but revealed a great deal. You looked very different to how you are now, dressed in black, with no silken gloves to speak of. This gladdened my heart; you were smiling and appeared completely at ease, sat on a throne of dark wood. Do not fear, but I believe you were in Volterra._

_Aro has been curious to meet you, ever since I told him about you. _

_Italy is beautiful this time of year!_

_With love, _

_Antoine and Sabine xxx_

* * *

When both girls had finished reading that very rushed sign-off, the silence stretched out, long and thick as custard between them. Beth opened her mouth to say something, but Antoine's words rendered her dumb with astonishment. They were pushing and jostling around her brain, like scattered beads from a broken necklace.

_He…knew. He knew this would happen._

And now there would be no stopping Anna from returning to Volterra. Where Aro's view would give her the final piece of the puzzle that was her life.

Her destiny.

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	18. Chapter 18: Goddess, reincarnated

**Woo-hoo, welcome to 2013 everyone! And welcome to a brand new chapter!**

**Enjoy!**

**LookAliveSunshine03**

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**Chapter 18:**

**Goddess, reincarnated**

Halloween night in Volterra soon came round, with a fittingly palpable chill in the air. A full moon surveyed the nocturnal comings and goings like a single white eye, blinded by cataracts. It was the only thing wide awake enough to witness the arrival of the vampires.

They came from all over the world, the allies and acquaintances of the most powerful of their kind. They took to the streets in intermittent groups of two of three, with silken gowns in whispering flashes of violet, scarlet and forest green. Beth and Anna were but two of these vampires, moving soundlessly towards the numerous secret passages into the Volturi's headquarters.

Two women in matching royal blue dresses and a man in slick, black robes passed their way. The trio nodded to them in acknowledgement, their shining, red eyes blinking at them in unsettling unison behind three black masks. The girls awkwardly returned the greeting.

"Eerie," Beth whispered out of the corner of her scarlet lips, when they were out of earshot. "Stephen King would be inspired."

Smiling thinly, Anna said. "Perhaps they are related?"

Beth twisted her lip, noncommittally. "Hmph. It's hard to tell with those masks on. I barely recognise _myself_ in this outfit!" she grumbled, almost as an afterthought.

"You suit having red eyes, Beth."

Beth raised an eyebrow, sensing Anna was being flippant. "No, I don't."

She just laughed, softly.

In actual fact, it had been Beth's idea to hide her true eye colour. She did not want to draw any unwanted attention upon herself when Anna was potentially about to cause quite a stir on her own. What's more, the contact lenses were irritating her eyes terribly, so she was feeling pretty surly right now.

"You _will_ behave yourself when you see him again, won't you?"

"What do you mean?" Anna frowned and her mask dipped with it.

Beth grunted, a little uncomfortably. "Well, the last time you saw him you didn't exactly stand and _chat_ for long; if you get my drift."

"Oh… yes," she swallowed, bashfully. "I get your drift. And I certainly will."

_However he may not._ She shivered at the thought, though she was not sure why.

Beth nodded, appeased. "Good. I was just checking."

She sighed. "I know."

They took the back entrance, as it was the most familiar, and Beth trusted her friend's sense of direction, so they wouldn't get too lost (though she secretly hoped for the latter).

Anna braced herself for the bitter memories that came with going through it, but the anxiety and – dare she admit it – _excitement_ having a punch-up in her gut stopped any other such distractions.

_I'm almost here._

* * *

Aro shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He had always loved parties, even as a human, and was usually well and truly in his element, greeting guests and having a fabulous time with what followed.

But not tonight. He felt almost like a boy again, jittery, and his every nerve was on fire, waiting for her, hoping – _praying _he wasn't about to be stood up by the woman he had fallen so gloriously for.

The Volturi hall had been fantastically transformed for the night. With no sun to light up the bright white marble, it appeared grey and gloomy without the multitude of black and white candles, scattered around in elaborate bronze candelabras. Some were as thick as Emmett Cullen's arm, some as thin as winter icicles. Their little, bright orange flames cast long, leaping shadows up the walls; it was a wonder the band could read their music at all, vampires or not.

There was a bass guitarist, a drummer and a pianist, but also a cellist and harpist to add to the mix. They were playing out a dark and suitably melancholy tune that was perfect for the occasion. Aro's skin danced with unexpected goosebumps to listen to it, while he and his brothers waited for the guests to arrive.

But of course there was only one person he cared about seeing tonight. The rest of them did not matter to him, and were merely blank-faced mannequins compared to her. A fake smile and a lukewarm welcome was all they received, but no one noticed anything unusual about his behaviour, except his brothers, though Caius wasn't sure why.

Aro could feel Marcus' eyes on him, as they always seemed to be of late, and he fought the urge to snap at him. Outside of Anna's company, he was unhappy and irritable enough without Marcus' self-indulgent "I told you so-s", about how their kiss had all but sealed the mate-bond between them. The desire curled and stretched, like a languid cat in a patch of sunlight, as Aro thought about how he would truly make her his.

Would she come? He was sure she would, yet his stomach was twisting itself into knots of doubt. Elizabeth would be with her, whispering words of well-meaning poison in her ear, trying to get her to stay away. Chelsea was standing on guard somewhere, ready to seize her if necessary. All he had to do was give a signal.

Marcus' sudden growl had him resurfacing from his thoughts, and following his brother's gaze, Aro inwardly sighed.

Their wives had arrived. Behind black masks flecked with gold and silver diamonds, Aro could see how their red eyes sparkled with anticipation, like two young girls waking up on Christmas morning. Standing together like that, their stark differences were incredibly prominent.

Sulpicia was dressed in an elegant gown of palest lavender, cinched in at the waist with silver embroidery and a single strap across her left shoulder. Her hair shone like white gold in a loose bun.

In contrast, Athenodora, Caius' wife, was a lot less subtle. She was curvaceous and small, about three inches shorter than her sister-in-law. Tonight she wore a harlequin red gown that matched the permanently devilish glint in her eye, with the obvious purpose of showing off as much bare flesh as possible without losing all manner of dignity. Caius leered at her approvingly, and left to show her just how much he did, without even saying goodbye to his brothers.

_They never change, _Aro thought with a small, sad pang of jealousy, as he kissed his wife full on the mouth. It was hardly appropriate behaviour for such a formal occasion, but that was Caius and Athenodora for you.

Sighing Aro got to his feet, and numbly made his way over to his wife. She was positively _aglow _tonight, and she smiled when he took her hand.

"You look beautiful, _mia cara,_" he murmured, automatically, kissing her hand. Her thoughts sang with high excitement. "Shall we dance?"

"Do you even have to ask?" she breathed.

Smiling stiffly, Aro led her out onto the floor, spinning her slowly as he did. The dancing couples around him, all moving with weep-worthy grace, grinned appreciatively just as another song began to play out. It was an unfamiliar tune, starting with the bass guitarist playing a short, mellow solo, and when the soft beat came in…well, whatever it was, he quite liked it.

They moved as one with effortless elegance, as they had for centuries, yet the heaviness in his heart, and that strange sense of _wrongness_ was distracting.

Sulpicia saw this. "Are you well, my love?"

"Oh, yes," Aro replied, lying fluidly. "Only…" – dare he risk it? Yes, he did – "The old friend I invited has not arrived yet."

"He will," Sulpicia smiled, in a bid to soothe him. He returned it tightly.

"I hope so."

And almost as soon as the words left his mouth, that friend made herself known.

He was not prepared for the emotions that followed – the relief, the pure unadulterated _joy _– all but slamming into his long-dead system, flaring into life, setting him a was a pleasurable pain unlike anything he had ever experienced, and it took all his self-control not to stop and simply _stare_ at her impossible beauty. Forget Sulpicia entirely. Even seeing Elizabeth standing there beside her in the doorway no longer mattered that much to him anymore.

He had believed she was stunning in mundane clothing, but now…now…

She was his old, human pagan Goddess of Love, reincarnated.

Oh, it was so hard to believe that the last time he had seen her here she had worn scruffy jeans, and a leather jacket that had done absolutely nothing for her.

Now, they had been (thankfully) replaced by a dress that did all for her. Dark, indigo silk that brought out the faint tan of her skin was snugly wrapped around her curves, and all that held it in place was a slim, diamond grip upon her right shoulder, and a clip encircling her hip.

Her chocolate brown hair (for it was the exact shade as that in this light), had been combed and tamed into a loose plait, hanging down her front all the way to her navel.

Aro's mouth was suddenly very, very dry.

The crowds of people, particularly the women were openly staring at her, some in wonder, and some in utter jealousy. Though she appeared unaffected by it, that tell-tale swallow said it all. Being the Centre of Attention all of a sudden made her uncomfortable, as her large eyes scanned the room.

_Are you looking for me, _il mio amore? Aro wondered, still dancing, still smiling at his wife, when all he really wanted to do was be at the opposite end of the room, with his shy, little Aphrodite.

* * *

**I know it was kind of a short chapter, but believe me, some serious shit is about to go down soon, courtesy of a certain clingy Volturi wife.**

** That is all. Heheh.**


	19. Chapter 19: A magic touch of Marcus PtI

**Sorry for the wait, you guys! I had some trouble with uploading it, but thankfully it's OK now!**

**Enjoy!**

**LookAliveSunshine03**

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**Chapter 19:**

**A magic touch of Marcus Part I**

Aro continued to steal glances at Anna, watching how she and her companion almost crept into the hall, taking flutes of fresh blood from a passing waiter's tray as they did.

Another look. Elizabeth leaned in and murmured something to Anna. She replied, with a small smile.

In the muted light, he was surprised to see that Elizabeth appeared to have acquired red irises. They made her loosely curled hair looked startling dark in comparison, particularly against the black of her strapless gown – however her nose was wrinkled with the glass of fresh, human blood in her hand, and she did not make any attempt to drink it.

If anything, it was just a prop.

This rather amused him. _Hiding, are we?_

Anna, of course, was happily sipping it. He watched how her eyes closed in pleasure as the hot, fresh blood flowed down her throat.

Oh, his body responded to it – so badly in fact, he had to suppress a small moan.

_Such a simple action as drinking…!_

The band finished their song, and he distantly found himself clapping politely along with the other dancers, while he tried to compose himself.

"You look pleased, dear," Sulpicia suddenly twinkled. "Has your old friend come after all?"

He could only smile. "I believe so."

"Go and speak with him."

Well, he did not need to be told twice. The dancers made a path to accommodate him, as he made his way onto the edge of the floor. Checking over his shoulder, he saw his wife and Athenodora were together again, chatting animatedly, so he was allowed to go to Anna without her eyes on him.

* * *

Anna didn't know what to do with herself. Maybe it was nerves, but her dress suddenly felt too tight, wrong, and she had to fight the wild instinct to turn and run away.

She found some solace in the fact that she did not have to put up with her hands burning from all the gifted vampires in the room anymore, but the guests' eyes still seemed to burn her skin with their judgmental red fire. She could almost hear their thoughts.

_Who are these two strangers?_

But they couldn't go back now. The austere look on Beth's face had said as much, when they had unfortunately crossed paths with Demetri. Anna had almost had to drag her away before another one their tetchy arguments broke out…

She was certain Aro had been putting on a show by dancing with his wife, to make the crowd believe everything was normal – but that didn't stop the envy from punching her in the stomach; the ferocity of it left her breathless.

She tried to calm it with more blood… though she was beginning to realise that this was no ordinary blood. A sudden burst of spice erupted at the very back of her throat, making her gasp.

Beth saw this. "Dude, are you alright?"

She still hadn't touched a single drop of hers, and was looking at the contents much like someone who finds dog mess on the end of their shoe.

Anna shook herself. "Yes, but," – She twisted the glass in her hand, watching the scarlet liquid inside wink at her, wickedly - "What on earth is in this?"

Whatever it was, it made her feel all warm inside, even _flushed_ with a strange fever that travelled all the way… down. She had to stop herself from humming low in her throat.

Many would call it purring.

Beth gave her a nudge, looking every bit displeased. "Look out. Here comes lover-boy."

Startled, Anna felt her heart give an almighty lurch. Her eyes found his at once, almost as if she had been watching him the entire time.

He moved with impeccable ease through the crowds, a panther through flimsy jungle reeds. The people around him moved out of the way, smiling all too brightly.

_They respect him, _her mind whispered. _But they also fear him…_

She gulped. And she could see why too. In the gloom of the hall, his eyes smouldered, drinking every bit of her in. Should she go to him? _Could _she? She didn't know. Her feet felt rooted to the spot.

But it was not fear that made her shiver.

And then, there he was, standing before her, his handsome face shining with delight. He wore a suit of crushed, black velvet, and his mask fitted his face perfectly, making him look like a dangerous highwayman.

It took Anna a metaphorical heartbeat to find her voice again.

"Aro, we are come."

His chuckle sent another deliscious shiver down her spine, careless and free. "So you are. Are you enjoying yourselves?

"Oh yes," Beth droned. "We're having an absolutely _wonderful_ time."

Anna gave her a look, before smiling at him. "Thank you for inviting us, Aro."

"This evening would be dull without you. You both look lovely tonight."

His eyes never left hers. But when he found the time (and will?) to look away – they widened.

"Why Anna," he said in pleasant surprise. "You are not wearing any gloves."

"No," Her tone was full of quiet pride. She crossed her hands in front of each other. "I am not."

"How wonderful! You have mastered your new gift?"

Beth gave him a searing glare. "How about that."

Anna sighed. "Now I can touch" – her insides suddenly clenched in anticipation, but for what reason, she was not entirely certain - "any gifted vampire without any unhappy consequences."

Aro raised an eyebrow. "Truly? Then I can do this?"

Beth gaped, as he took Anna's hand in his and kissed it.

_Ah. _In her mind, Aro was immediately hit with the force of Anna's thoughts. He felt her astonishment at his touch, her excitement… and the unnatural chill that came with extinguishing the burning in her palms.

Beth stared desperately into space, feeling desperately awkward. A sea of dancing strangers ebbed and flowed all around her to the morose beat of the music.

She sighed, and moodily contemplated jumping out of a window. Anna and Aro were talking in a hushed manner that made her presence feel terribly unwelcome.

"Do you feel anything?" he was inquiring, still holding Anna's hand. With a rather cheeky spark in his eye, she noticed.

"No. Nothing at all."

Anna appeared to enjoy the sound of her confession because, unexpectedly, she beamed. Like a fallen star, it lit the room up; it was just as rare and radiant.

And Aro's already utterly besotted heart was not prepared for it in the slightest.

He almost swooned, sliding his hand up her arm. "Dance with me."

The breathlessness in his voice had both women staring at him in astonishment.

"P – Pardon?" Anna stumbled, hoping she had somehow, miraculously misheard.

He repeated his request, and Beth hissed, incredulously. "Um, your wife is _right there._"

But Aro either appeared not to hear her, or he was simply ignoring her. She blithely guessed the latter.

"We have things to discuss, do we not?" he coaxed. "And this is, after all, a dance…it would be odd not to."

Oh, there was so much Anna wanted to say to him, but ― "If she sees us…?"

"She won't. I promise you."

"Anna, no!" Beth cried.

Aro looked at her sharply, growling a little.

Nevertheless, Anna was shaking her head and she pulled sadly away from him. "Aro, I cannot. But…if there is a place we can talk in private?" she asked, shyly.

Thoroughly relieved, Aro smiled. "Why, of course."

He offered her his hand again.

Beth started and almost spilled the blood down her. "Now wait just a minute! You can't just _leave_! People are bound to notice."

Aro chuckled, and her already frazzled temper crackled dangerously.

"I sincerely doubt that, Elizabeth."

It was as if the band had read his mind. As soon as the words had left his mouth, a new, lively tune bwgan, and she watched in bewilderment as almost everyone took to the dance floor: mates with mates, friends with friends.

_Ugh. How sweet._

"We shan't be long," Anna said quietly, in a sad bid to reassure her.

Beth's chest tightened in panic. She reached out to – what? Grab her? Hold her against her will? She didn't know; her fear was the only part of her doing the talking now. "Wait, Anna - !"

But they were already out of the hall. Probably gone forever.

"Crap."

Beth had never felt so pathetically alone. She had _failed_. Anna was out of her reach. Lost to the lions' den.

_Gah! Focus! _Pushing back her growing urge to do something violent in frustration, she tried to unscramble her head to go over her options of what to do next.

Well, she could easily go after Anna, but what was the point? She had no place _here_. The frosty reception she had received from the Guard had confirmed that to her enough times now.

But she couldn't leave, because she'd _promised – _and not just to Anna, but herself. And she never took back her promises, ever.

"Good evening…Elizabeth."

_Urgh. _A young and irritatingly familiar face stepped into her line of sight, effectively shattering her train of thought like a fist through a window pane.

Demetri was looking the very dapper gentleman indeed tonight, with a cocky smile to match. His dark hair was stylishly slicked back, he wore a suit that smugly bellowed designer at the top of its lungs

"What the hell do _you_ want?" Beth growled. She **really** didn't need this right now. She was already in a mood sour enough to make a lemon retch.

"Master Marcus wishes to speak with you," he answered, coolly.

She blinked. "You what?"

She had expected another dead-pan remark about her 'new' eyes, but certainly not _that_. With a bored roll of his eyes, he went to repeat his statement, but she snapped at him. "I heard you fine, bloodhound! I meant _why_ does Mr High and Mighty up there want to see _me?_"

She met Marcus' eyes back at the opposite end of the hall. He smiled at her. She did not return it.

"Ask him yourself." Demetri sniffed, glaring at her. Whether it was because she'd called him bloodhound, or because she'd insulted his Master, Beth didn't care in the slightest.

"Whatever," She shook her hair off her shoulders, and stepped away from the wall. When he went to lead the way, she hissed. "I can find my own way."

"My Master ordered me to accompany you."

Beth rolled her eyes. "You must be so pleased."

"Far from it."

She dumped her full glass back onto a passing waiter's tray, ignoring the look of surprise he gave her. Demetri purposely led her across the floor, in full view of all who danced there, and that _really_ infuriated her. She considered putting on her glamour, before deciding that was probably what Demetri was expecting.

_And _I_ am no coward, _she thought, defiantly.

So, she held her head up high, put on a smile, and feigned deafness against any of the blatantly bitchy things some of the Barbie doll women were whispering about her.

"Look at that girl! See how arrogantly she walks!"

"Who _does _she think she is?"

And Beth's personal favourite quote of the evening?

"I always thought red hair was the sign of the devil…"

She had to bite the inside of her cheek to stop the bark of laughter from ruining her stoic illusion.

_Which century did _you _spawn from, Barbie?!_

Ahead of her, Demetri had paused briefly to speak with two women. She went to curse under her breath, until she saw who they were.

That breath froze in Beth's throat. _Oh shit._

He was talking to the Volturi wives. She recognised the woman with strawberry-blonde curls and terrifyingly revealing, red dress – and, of course, Sulpicia, looking every bit the stick-thin supermodel.

Aro's wife.

A curious thought struck Beth. _How could he fall in love with two completely different women?_

Sulpicia's eyes roved the crowds, searching for her husband, so it was only a matter of time before she noticed the tiny, _scarlet_-haired girl in the _black_ dress attempting to move quick and ninja-like past her.

_Eep!_

Those eyes (so pitifully small compared to Anna's) narrowed a little when Sulpicia saw her – or did she imagine it? Beth felt an abrupt rush of dread that perhaps her venom had dissolved those contact lenses.

Thankfully, the permanently red haze blanketing her vision said otherwise.

_I shall have to change them soon. _Her wristwatch told her it had been almost two hours since she'd put the damned things in.

She approached Marcus alone. "You summoned me?" She droned.

Sat on his customary throne to the left of Aro's seat, Marcus looked incredibly sad indeed, even when he smiled at her. But that was probably because he was on his own as well.

"Good evening, Beth," he said, warmly, and she started in surprise at the address.

"You called me Beth!"

"Is that not your name?" He asked, curiously.

"Well… yeah," she shrugged, awkwardly. "But almost everyone else here calls me Elizabeth."

"But you do not call yourself that. Come," Marcus gestured beside him. She saw his smile widening a little, and immediately felt paranoid as to why. "Sit by me."

The step beside him looked about as inviting as an iceberg – but the genial gleam in Marcus' eye and the burning curiousity in her gut forced Beth to comply.

Her mind was suddenly bustling with questions. _Why aren't you dancing with everyone else? Where is your wife? Do you even _have _a wife?_

So she'd barely sat down, before getting straight to the question at the front of the queue. "Why do you want to talk to me?"

"You looked rather lost without your friend over there, and I thought you would like some company."

It was as simple as that. Beth tried not to flinch. _Pity; _just what she needed right now. "Thanks, but I'm fine."

Up went one politely disbelieving eyebrow. "Are you?"

"Yup." She even popped the p to prove it.

"That does surprise me."

"Oh, yeah?" She challenged. "And why's that?"

"If I were in your situation, I would be feeling very upset at present. Even betrayed."

Her tone was a cocktail of sugar and bile. "And what situation would _that_ be?"

"Your sister has left you."

Beth gritted her teeth. "Marcus, why are we even having this conversation?"

"Because I want you to understand what is to follow from it."

Craning her neck, Beth gave Marcus her strangest look. Unaffected, he gazed back down at her.

"It is true my brother and your sister are soul-mates, yes?"

"Um." It sounded bizarre out loud. "How do you know it's a fact?"

"I can see it," he replied, without hesitation. "And so can you. They are not hiding it well."

"Because they can't," she whispered.

It was meant only for her, but Marcus nodded."Precisely."

He turned his gaze to the dancers, still dancing. Beth noticed Sulpicia was alone now, moving out across the floor. "Their bond is one of the strongest mating bonds I have ever come across in all my years of immortality," Marcus breathed.

Intrigued, Beth couldn't stop herself. "You can _see_ bonds?"

"Hm."

Her mind reeled. "Wow. That's… quite cool."

He chuckled.

Beth shifted in her position, mulling this new piece of information over. "So…can you see the relationships between all of these people?" she asked at last. "Like – like her?"

Marcus didn't even have to look where she was pointing to, to know who she was referring to. "Yes."

Sulpicia was starting to look frantic, running towards the doors. "What can you see?" Beth whispered.

He told her.

"My God," she gasped. "So…it _is _true?"

"Yes."

The revelation hurt. "But… what now? Can I do anything about it?"

Marcus' reply was almost amused. "You wish to 'break my brother and your sister up', so to speak?"

"No! No, of course not!" That was only slightly ninety-five per cent true. "But…she'll have to stay here, won't she?"

"Unless you wish for Anna to suffer."

Beth sucked in a breath. "No."

"Then, yes," Marcus replied, sombrely. "She will have to stay with Aro."

"But – hang on," she frowned. "Where does that leave Sulpicia?"

Marcus said nothing for a moment, long enough for Beth to begin to wonder if he did not wish to reply. Or maybe he'd forgotten she was there, and was now wallowing in his unknown misery. Anna had done that often, so she knew the signs.

So she waited awkwardly for a while, pondering. The memory of the conversation between Aro and Demetri suddenly stirred to attention.

_"__Sulpicia will not give up without a struggle."_

When Marcus finally spoke again, Beth started a little.

"That," he said, quietly. "Is up to Aro to decide."

And he watched, as Sulpicia suddenly dashed out of the hall.

Beth froze.

"Should I – should I do something?"

"Sulpicia may not like what she sees when she finds my brother." Marcus said, pleasantly.

That was good enough for her. Leaping to her feet, she thanked him for talking to her about his gift.

"Good luck." He smiled.

Then she was away, in hot pursuit after Sulpicia. Wondering what fresh hell she was about to get herself into now…

* * *

**Poor Beth. The things she does for her friend...and it's only about to get worse!**

**Reviews please!**


	20. Chapter 20: Hell hath no fury

**Woo, this was a right nightmare to finish - but here it is!**

**Enjoy!**

**LookAliveSunshine03**

* * *

**Chapter 20:**

**Hell hath no fury**

_Hell hath no fury_

_Like a woman scorned_

William Congreve

Beth successfully followed Sulpicia out of the castle out into the courtyard. Whilst invisible, of course, so she wouldn't see her. It had been ridiculously easy, really, despite the castle being so damned busy and _noisy_; most of the vampires were becoming idiotically drunk on the blood by now, what with the Ball going so swimmingly - no one appeared to notice Aro's absence, except Marcus.

God, it was so nice to be out in the fresh air. Even if she was being forced up against a brick wall, with Demetri growling angrily in her face.

"What _are_ you doing?"

Hm. This was a terrible error of judgement on Beth's part. Being invisible, she had assumed no one would catch her following Sulpicia like a shadow, she had (stupidly) not anticipated that _he_ would be stalking her as well.

And being this close to him was a little too _intimate _for her liking…

"Why?" She cocked her head to one side, smiling mock-sweetly. "Are you concerned for my welfare?"

Demetri sneered, taking a step back. "Don't flatter yourself. I care only for the safety of my Lady," he gave her a poignant look, as if expecting her to punch him in the face and run off.

_Too predictable, _she thought, grinning.

"Oh, so what, you think I'm going kidnapher? I'm not stupid."

Demetri laughed.

"Look, if you must know, I was trying to stall her from discovering her husband in the arms of another woman." She began to stomp away, muttering under her breath. "_Forgive_ me for being so considerate."

"I did not know you cared so much for her."

She stopped, and turned to find he was smirking at her.

"I _don't_," she hissed."But no woman deserves that kind of shock." She started again, sniffing for Sulpicia's scent to try and follow it. "And thanks to _you, _she's now about to get it."

* * *

Our two lovers stood alone upon the bridge that arched across the lake in the Volturi garden. They had abandoned their masks, leaving them to hang on one of the wooden posts.

This was no time for hiding.

It felt like a world away from the vivacious atmosphere of the hall. Here peace should be thriving among the ocean of flowers beyond the lakeside. Here, Anna was almost relaxed in this tranquil place.

But instead, with Aro at her side, the air seemed to hum with unbearable sexual tension. Or maybe that was just her.

So far she had managed to talk about Antoine's vision he had had of her. Aro was still beaming in delight about it.

He in turn had also revealed that in his letters, Antoine had purposely been very sparse with his details about Anna. Apparently, he had not wanted him to feel any bias towards her when they finally met.

Anna had smiled sadly at that. That was the Antoine she knew. Always the lover of secrets.

Aro had gone on to say. "He told me you were gifted in ways he had never seen before. That was all I needed to hear to want to meet you."

Now she was trying to think of what to say next…but, of course Aro was proving to be quite an evil distraction.

He was stroking her hair and letting his fingers slip down her long plait, all the way down to her stomach. He knew exactly what he was doing. He didn't want to talk. Not now she was here, standing exquisite in the moonlight. She felt her breath hitch.

"Aro," she swallowed, keeping her voice as neutral as she could. "Don't."

He smiled, and leaned in until his lips brushed the curve of her ear. "You were not nearly so hesitant the last time we met."

She stiffened. "Don't say that."

"Why? Do you regret it?"

She didn't reply, but the fact she forced herself to move further away, even when her heart cried out in protest, said it all.

He watched her go, saw her hands tighten around the fragile wood of the balcony railing.

Yet her voice was as controlled as ever. "Yes. We should not have done it."

Sighing a little, he came to stand by her once more, reaching to touch her face. She closed her eyes; her lashes were so long, they tickled his fingers, like a butterfly's wing.

A miserable noise escaped her mouth. "No."

Though her heart and head were clearly at war with one another, there was no refuting the way her body had softened at his contact. Aro didn't need to read her mind to see that.

"Why deny it?"

Anna sighed shakily, and then in a movement too fast for a human to see, she caught his hand in hers. "This is why. Mate or not, we cannot be."

She gave the gold band around his left finger a gentle twist.

Aro was so surprised, he laughed. "Why, for some foolish human law?"

"It is not foolish!" She cried with unexpected heat, and he heard the wood crunch under her angry grip. Nevertheless, her voice was soon soft once more. "Aro, I was born into a society where marriage was considered a sacred bond. Till death do you part. Was that not the same in your time?"

He grinned. "Death does not apply to us."

Oh, she just _knew_ he'd say something like that. "But what about your vows? What about your _wife_?" She regarded their hands, still entwined, and said in a clear, firm voice. "I will not take what is not mine."

She went to let him go – but his hand only tightened around hers.

"Aro –" Her eyes widened as he dared to take a step closer to her, closing the gap between them.

He allowed himself to languish in her scent that seemed to spike, rolling off her in waves now that he was so incredibly near.

"Anna, do you not understand what is between us?" he asked, softly. "Can you not feel it?"

She fixed her gaze onto the lightly rippling surface of the lake; his reflection brush against hers. She could barely breathe. "Feel what?"

His answering chuckle reverberated through her. "You are as drawn to me as I am to you."

It was pointless in denying it now. Her mouth suddenly felt as dry as dust, and she closed her eyes. Something like despair was welling up inside her.

_Lord, what do I do? _

Her head, the part of her body she almost always listened to, was being its usual logical and standoffish self, screaming _what on earth are you _doing_, girl?_

She couldn't bear the thought of tearing apart a marriage that was possibly considered ancient before even her _grandparents _were born. She should turn away from him now, leave and never return. Go back to Nice. Forget all about the Volturi.

Beth would be happy…yet Anna's heart wouldn't. As a matter of fact, it _howled_ at the very idea, and she clamped her lips shut to stop the pained cry from exploding out of her mouth.

_I cannot leave him! _That revelation angered her and frightened her in equal measure. This man, this powerful, beautiful, _married_ man at her side, had somehow coaxed her heart into believing it was healing after years of agony and angst.

But wait…when had been the last time she had thought of Tom, in its usual throbbing ache? She swallowed. It had been days. _Weeks_, even. Only Aro had occupied her thoughts.

"And I you."

She started. So it appeared Aro had been reading her thoughts the entire time and, being so lost in her thoughts, Anna hadn't noticed at all.

"As a matter of fact, I have not stopped thinking about you since you left," he continued, with a rather shy smile, which struck her as very odd. And…endearing. "Fortunately, I have kept this with me as a… reminder of our brief time together."

He reached inside his jacket pocket, and Anna gave a small gasp of amazement, as her old scarf was draped around her neck.

Though her scent was still only faintly evident, it smelt more of him now: fresh peppermint and something unmistakably _male_ that shouldn't have worked on such a feminine accessory. It still made her skin ripple with goosebumps, before she caught herself.

Her voice was a lot harsher than she had anticipated. "I suppose your wife doesn't know about this?"

Aro tried not to sigh, though he had to admire her stubborn denial. "Anna…"

She interrupted him, her voice tremulous. "Please, Aro. Help me understand. You dance with a woman you are meant to love and cherish beyond everything – yet here with me, you can barely control yourself. What is the true you?"

"Here with you."

"And Sulpicia?"

"I still care for her, if that is what you mean."

Anna stared at him, incredulously. "But is that all?

Aro's face hardened, yet when he spoke again, his voice was lost in his ancient past.

"For almost over a century, I have watched my affections wane for my wife and have had_ no idea why._" His lip quirked wryly at the corner."Marcus knew of course, and informed me that she was no longer my soul mate – that there was someone else out there, waiting to be found. I had no idea that Antoine knew until…I read Tuono's memories."

The breath seized in Anna's throat. "And you –"

Aro smiled. "Perhaps even then, I knew Antoine had found the right one."

She did not resist when his lips grazed her temple, though she shivered.

They had no idea that Sulpicia had been watching the entire time, on the very outskirts of the garden behind them. He had been gone from her side for an awfully long time and, feeling lonely she had gone to look for him.

So imagine her astonishment when she found him with a small, raven-haired child, whispering in her ear, like a lover…

The girl – had she seen her before? – stood rigid beside him, but when he leaned into her…oh, the change that came over her!

_This is his __**old friend? **_

Her lungs painfully tightened, as a red haze came over her sight.

_We'll see about that!_

But before she could move, a voice cried out behind her. "My Lady, wait!"

Jerking round in surprise, Sulpicia saw it was...

"Demetri!"

But he was not alone. A young girl with hair as red as blood was approaching with him.

She had golden eyes.

"Who is this?" Sulpicia snapped. Anger was chewing up her insides, making her waspish.

Beth flinched. _Shit biscuits! She's seen them. Now what? _

"We've met before," she blurted out before Demetri could say. He glared hard at her, and she shrugged. "What? We have."

That insolent tone...Sulpicia didn't have time for this, not now.

But when she turned away again, the girl was in front of her.

"You're in my way, child."

"I had no idea."

Her eyes were wide, full of trepidation – and it all made sense.

Summer. The two girls in Aro's study. One, subdued and full of a quiet beauty that seemed effortless. The other, bold and brash.

_Elizabeth…Anna…_

"_You._" Sulpicia hissed. "I remember your face."

And with a snarl, she launched herself at Beth, and knocked her flying.

* * *

**Everybody hates Beth, don't they? R&R please!**


	21. Chapter 21: A magic touch of Marcus II

**Hello, again, and a big, grateful salute to all who are now following this. Here comes another chapter!**

**Enjoy!**

**LookAliveSunshine03**

* * *

**Chapter 21:**

**A magic touch of Marcus Part II**

Everything happened incredibly quickly then. With a strangled cry, Beth landed just a few inches short of the benches, cracking the cobbles instead. The breath was slammed out of her body in a violent exhale.

"No!" Anna cried, shocked, just as Sulpicia stepped into view.

There was suddenly a deadly rushing in Anna's ears. She gave a roar – a real _carnal_ roar of outrage – and descended upon her friend, like a female bird of prey protecting her chick from a predator.

Aro was stunned. He thought he had seen her angry before, back when he had felt the first jolts of attraction towards her – but this was something else entirely.

Nevertheless, she was terribly quiet. "You will not touch her again."

Sulpicia flinched when the temperature plummeted around them. It was becoming instinctual, using Darius' power, and for once, Anna was terribly relieved to have it on her side.

Because Beth had no part in this - this _triangle_. She was innocent_, _and Sulpicia's eyes had been ablaze with malice that was not meant for her.

_This is my fault._

Now, Sulpicia froze, blinking in confusion when she no longer felt the need to move. She saw that her husband was regarding this with great interest, and that rage threatened to crest inside her again. Him and his obsession with gifted vampires…!

"Why do you stand there, husband? You dare let this girl speak to me like this?"

His reply was cool and calm. Detached, even. "I'm surprised at you, Sulpicia. It is not like you to harass my guests."

She opened her mouth, but his betrayal had stolen her voice from his box.

_Where has my husband gone?_

The Aro she knew and loved would have torn these two women limb-from-limb for treating her like this. Especially the dark-haired one, with the sad eyes. What had she done to her? Sulpicia's head felt thick and…cold, and when she tried to move, nothing happened. She was paralysed.

Struggling up into a sitting position, Beth tore off her mask. "You can say that again!"

She was pretty sure Sulpicia had ripped her dress when she'd tackled her. This annoyed her...but if anything, she was in a state of shock.

_Where the fuck had that come from anyway? _

The reason why she had tried to stop Sulpicia from coming here seemed so small and pointless now, so she didn't say anything else, and let Anna gently pull her to her feet.

"Are you alright?"

Beth nodded, shakily. "Yeah. Thanks."

She wondered if Anna had hurt her throat, making that noise. It had scared her half to death; it was unlike Anna to _shout_, let alone roar! Still, she didn't know what would have happened if Anna hadn't intervened. The look on Sulpicia's face had frightened her, and she felt no shame in admitting that.

_If looks could kill. _Beth allowed herself a smile. How very apt.

Satisfied her friend was unhurt, Anna turned her gaze upon Sulpicia once more. Her voice was unfeasibly steady.

"It is me you should be getting hysterical over, not her."

Sulpicia stared at her. Then she hissed. "Is that a _confession_?"

A blast of air tickled the back of Beth's head, and she knew without looking, that Aro had come to stand beside his wife.

"I believe it will be best if we spoke about this inside." His eyes were hard, the Volturi leader in his element. "Demetri?"

_Oh, hello. _All the while, Demetri was just standing there with them, not saying a word. Beth had forgotten he was there.

He was looking troubled and uncertain of what to do with himself, but at the sound of his Master's voice, he snapped to customary attention. "Master?"

"Inform Marcus that tonight's festivities are to finish a little… earlier than planned, please."

He just looked glad to get out of here. "Yes, Master."

When Demetri was gone, Beth suddenly realised something. He knew more about what was happening here than anyone else. He had seen Aro and Anna together – like _together_, together – hadn't he? Moreover, he had witnessed the subtle changes that had occurred in his Master, since she and Anna had come asking for their help all those months ago.

He knew the whole story.

_Poor kid, _she thought, with a sympathy that surprised her.

"We will discuss this later," Aro was murmuring. "I must say goodnight to our guests. Sulpicia?"

His wife looked at him, the jewels on her mask sparkling in the dark. "Yes, husband."

But that triumphant glance she spared Anna said everything. Beth snorted quietly. _While you're at it, why don't you just piss on him to further mark your territory?_

"We shall meet you in the library in ten minutes," Aro said.

He slid on his mask, the real and most definitely the mental one, took his wife's hand, and then they disappeared into the darkness.

The silence that followed felt almost like a heavy physical weight; thick enough to mould and sculpt, and Beth shuffled uncomfortably.

"Um, I guess we'd better go to the library…"

Anna swallowed, saying nothing, but there was so much she wanted to say. Her mouth tasted sour, sick with misery. The truth was finally out. Sulpicia knew about them, and that bright fire in her eye still shrieked volumes to her.

_You shall not have my husband. He is _mine.

Her head thudded, dull and weary.

_There is no going back. _

"Hey," Beth said, quietly. "Let's go."

She put a gentle arm around her, and Anna gave a trembling sigh.

"I'm so sorry, Beth."

She frowned. "Why? It's not your fault." When Anna made to protest, she interrupted. "No. It isn't. It's _his _fault, you hear me? He's the one breaking hearts, not you. Come on. Let's go."

Her tone snapped no arguments, and Anna had to smile. Beth was always the resilient one, even with a torn dress and a wounded ego.

She let her the way, back through the passage she had obviously taken to get out here. No back-handed comments from Demetri this time, though.

Anna did not speak much, unsurprisingly, lost in her thoughts, but Beth found it was a comfortable silence. Well, as comfortable as it could be when it was, potentially, the calm before the storm.

They walked straight past the hall where they could hear the disappointed, but nonetheless very merry babble of the guests, as they were told to go home. Beth distantly found herself wondering where home was for them, like the man and the two women she and Anna had crossed paths with on arriving. How long ago it now seemed…

Anna's palms were prickling urgently by they time they reached the library. Her insides tightened in anticipation, thinking Aro had got out of dismissing his guests and had arrived early – but it was not Aro looking at a book about plants, when they went in.

"Hello, Marcus," Beth said, cheerily, apparently unsurprised. "Long time no see."

The large vampire smiled at them, clearly expecting them. "Good evening, Beth. It is lovely to see you are not wearing your contact lenses. They did not suit you."

Surprised, she laughed. "Um, thanks."

He placed his book on the table in front of him, and moved aside to give them room. "Come, sit."

They did, both wondering where this was going…though Beth had a pretty good idea. She let Anna sit closer to Marcus.

_Will he let her see his power? _She tried not to snigger at how wrong that sounded in her head.

"So, what brings you here?"

Marcus' reply was instant. "I was waiting for you."

He was smiling at her with such warmth, Anna looked at him curiously. "How much has Aro told you?"

"You mean about his infidelity?" He paused, bowing his head slightly in contemplation. "Very little. But, fortunately, I have the ability to see how much he truly loves you, without asking."

If Anna still had a pulse it would have skipped a mile. She had been worrying over this for so long now – the confusion, the forbidden desire, and the _guilt_ – she hadn't thought to consider what was really going on with Aro.

Astonished was rarely a word Beth would use to describe anything to do with her impassive friend…but at that moment, it was perfect.

"Marcus, show her," she whispered. She was practically squirming in her seat. "Show her what you told me."

Anna looked at her. Intrigue danced behind her eyes. "Show me what?"

Beth held her breath, while Marcus explained. Suddenly, the significance of this moment descended over her, and she held back a strange, little shiver. This would be the turning point. Anna would see real, solid _proof _that she was Aro's true mate.

_But will she accept that? Even then? _She didn't know. And, come to think of it, she didn't know if Anna knew either.

"So, would you like to see, my dear?" Marcus asked.

Beth waited for the pause, and the anxious gulp. But they did not come.

"Yes," Anna said instead. She looked quite excited. "But only for a moment," she added, and gave him a grim smile which asked _I don't need to tell you why, do I?_

When he offered her hand, she hesitated. "This will feel a little strange."

"I expect it will."

He was looking at her expectantly, and she felt the need to explain her sudden fear. "It has been a while since I've used my power, I'm sorry."

"You'll be fine," Beth murmured beside her. "Go on. You can do it."

Anna took a deep breath. Mercifully, it relaxed her, helping her with her courage, which was what she really needed right now. "I know."

She carefully easing the icy shield off, like a plaster of a healing wound. Then she took Marcus' hand, shuddering, feeling her power surge to the surface of her palm to lock onto his gift.

It took its effect immediately. Cobweb-like threads of gold and silver materialised everywhere. Looking down, she saw five beams radiated out of her in all directions. One strand stretched out of the room, thick and pulsing with soft, golden light. She saw that three silver threads of were shorter than the others, with frayed ends that suggested some damage had been done. Beth had the same, as well as a brighter strand that connected the two of them together, amidst the duller three. To her untrained eye, it looked incredibly sturdy.

_ur bond._

"You see this…all the time?" she whispered to Marcus. She was aware she had a stupid grin on her face, but she did not try to hide it.

"Yes." A mess of bonds pulsed through him, like veins of ice and sunlight – but she noticed the one thread that seemed to pierce through his heart was a thick stump, like a rod or iron. Broken beyond repair. It filled her with a strange sadness that she didn't understand.

To Beth, she looked slightly ridiculous, staring around at nothing in wonder, and she wished she could see it all too.

"What's it like?"

Anna glanced at her. Her eyes were sparkling with unshed tears, but the smile on her face was utterly serene. "It's beautiful."

She longed to see more, but knew she couldn't. She had held on long enough, and her power was already gorging itself.

"Marcus, thank you," she said, letting go of his hand. She blinked to clear her watery vision. She suddenly felt more alive, if that were possible for a vampire. There was no question. She couldn't see it anymore, but she knew the bond was still there, invisible, yet as bright and bold as a ray of sunshine.

But for now, that didn't matter, because Sulpicia wasn't going to give Aro up without a fight.

_He loves me. He loves _me.

And she realised now, with a jolt of a surprise, neither was she.

* * *

**Love is making Anna brave, eh? What do you think? R&R!**


	22. Chapter 22: Her end

**Sorry for the wait, this chapter proved to be very difficult to write! It's the shortest one so far, but I think it works best that way.**

**Enjoy!**

**LookAliveSunshine03**

* * *

**Chapter 22:**

**Her end**

A new day was dawning. A sliver of pale gold sunlight peered sleepily down into Volterra, stretching itself across the very hill Anna, Beth and Darius had stood months before. The grass was no longer lush and green, now that winter was reaching out to touch anything it could get its hands on. Though the temperature change was not as drastic as places such as England, it was enough for people to notice, and maybe put on a light jacket, but that was all.

Our two heroines were all that was left of the pantheon of vampires that had ended October on such a high note.

No one spoke, and this bothered Beth. She could usually fill silences like these without trouble, but today was not one of those days. Ironically, there was so much she wanted to say, but she had no idea where to start. She glanced at Anna, and snorted in disbelief.

Apparently, she was still in awe, still reeling from experiencing Marcus' gift, except now she was even smiling a little. Beth had a feeling it was of acceptance, and realised, with a pang of surprise, she wasn't sure if that was a bad thing anymore.

_She actually looks…happy. _

Meanwhile, Marcus was being Marcus, not saying anything much. Beth had managed to get him to speak a little bit a few minutes ago by asking him what his favourite books in the library were. She could see he was more at ease here; like she was, so common ground was always a good place to be. He'd quietly enquired, quite casually, which library she was referring to, because there was _six _to choose from here, and Beth's head had spun with amazement.

They had had a conversation that had fascinated Beth. Marcus preferred to read books in the Italian language, ancient tomes from his past. Beth had been rather embarrassed to admit her own favourites, aware they were nowhere near to his on an intellectual scale, but Marcus had appeared curious and equally interested in her choices.

"You enjoy fictional books… about us?"

Beth had smirked, ruefully. "Yeah, even now."

After that, however, the conversation had dried up, or maybe it was because Marcus didn't feel like talking anymore? She didn't know, but she reckoned that was it, feeling something twist anxiously inside when she wondered why. Had he always been this quiet, or had something happened to him to make him so near-comatose? She had been in the company of Anna long enough to know the signs, but would not ask that of him now. She decided that she quite liked Marcus, and did not want to upset him by asking such personal questions.

Though she was very, _very_ curious, and she was almost relieved when Anna finally spoke up after half an hour of not saying a single word – especially as the question she asked was a very good one.

"When do you suppose Aro and Sulpicia will be coming?"

The silence that followed now seemed to reverberate in and around the corridors of the Volturi headquarters, like a palpable echo that rang loudest in Aro and Sulpicia's room.

She was perched rigidly upon the pink, satin stool at her dresser, reapplying her mascara in stiff, jerking strokes. She had even had time to change her gown into a square-necked number matching the thunderous look on her face.

Seeing her like this, purposely freezing him out and delaying going back to confront Anna, he realised he had held this off for too long.

They had smiled, acting out their usual performance as the inseparable couple of millennia in front of the guests. But holding his wife's mind had made the smile freeze over. She would ensure that Anna and Beth would never return here again, or worse.

The idea made him feel physically sick. He took a step towards her.

"That child got in my way, husband," Sulpicia growled suddenly. She had moved on to applying dusky eye-shadow now. "And you did _nothing_."

Aro said nothing. He took another step. And another.

"She may be a Cullen in disguise," she continued to grumble nonsensically. So out of touch with the outside world, and he only had himself to blame. He placed both hands on her shoulders, and she looked at him sharply.

"But what of your little whore? What is she to you?"

He smiled. It was a beautiful, terrible smile, that of the Angel of Death before he makes his move.

She didn't even have time to scream. Her severed head hit the pristine white carpet with a soft _whump_, the soft resonance of the deafening crack of her neck.

"_Everything,_" Aro whispered. "She is everything."

* * *

**What do you think? Good? Too short? Let me know!**


	23. Chapter 23: Her beginning

**Hello, it's me again! To make up for the last, rather short chapter, here's an extra long one (hehe, that sounds so wrong in my head), so blame that for the extra-long wait...it's totally worth it, I assure you! **

**Enjoy!**

**LookAliveSunshine03 (R.I.P My Chemical Romance 2001-2013 )':)**

* * *

**Chapter 23:**

**Her beginning**

The sound of Sulpicia's neck snapping was unmistakable, bursting through that awful silence like a gunshot through a block of ice. Jane, who was slipping on her customary white tights for the day, froze. Her face was a blank mask, but Alec knew she was as curious as he was, peering inquisitively out of their quarters.

"Who has fallen?"

Downstairs, the girls flinched at the sound, as people often do in reaction to a loud noise nearby.

"That sounded like…" Anna couldn't finish. Dread ruptured into nauseating life, somewhere in the pit of her stomach like a spider's egg sack, swarming with live young. She gasped.

"He hasn't…he couldn't…" But her skin crawled in horror. "Oh, that ludicrous _fool_! What have you done?" She half cried, half whispered to herself.

Panicked, Beth turned to Marcus, "What has he done?"

He looked back at her, his expression unreadable. "It seems my brother has made his decision. Sulpicia is dead."

"No!" Anna gasped. Her hand flew to her forehead, as if overcome by a sudden pain. "This is not meant to happen!"

Lurching to her feet, she ran out of the library – or rather she took off, like a bird. Beth was amazed how dignified she did it. Only the hair flying free from her plait showed how distressed Anna truly was.

Groaning, she rubbed the gap between her eyebrows with the pads of her fingers. "I have to –"

Marcus nodded. "I understand. My brother has some explaining to do."

"Yup." With her ruined skirt flapping behind her, like a crow's broken wing, she caught up with her on the Volturi's floor – and was momentarily distracted by its beauty.

It was a sea of illustrious Renaissance gold and white marble so spotless, it hurt her eyes.

Except… there were some rather loud noises coming from the one furthest away, noises that made Beth stop and bend her lip in embarrassment.

_Caius and his wife? Good _grief! _They're completely shameless._

Anna appeared not to hear them, marching forwards.

Voices came from the room adjacent, low and urgent, and her heart flip-flopped sickeningly in her chest when she recognised Aro's. It made her hands prickle, but she silenced them impatiently. Beth saw the storm brewing in her eyes.

"Um. Do I have to hold you back, or are you okay?"

She jerked her head. "I am okay." When she looked to her loyal friend, her expression lost its fierce edge. "You did not need to follow me, Beth."

Beth just rolled her eyes. "Oh, shut up. I told you I'd keep an eye on you, didn't I?"

Anna smiled. "Yes. You did." Then she sighed. "I don't know if you are going to like what we see in there."

"Nope. I reckon I'm not." Beth nodded, before giving a rather twisted grin. "But I am quite looking forward to you giving Aro a piece of your mind."

Her eyes flashed again. "Mm. The feeling is not quite mutual."

Then she shoved open the door and went inside, much to Beth's astonishment.

_Well! The old Anna would never have done that._

Quickly recovering as much as she could, she followed – though every part of her brain told her she would most certainly regret it.

She did too. "Ah shit."

Breathing slowly through her mouth, she hugged her shoulders as if to protect herself from the grisly sight that met her eyes.

It had been perfectly done, with astounding precision, which helped with the calming illusion that Sulpicia's body was just a shop mannequin which had just toppled over, knocking the hollow head clean off. A head with huge, glazed eyes and a perfect mouth, gaping wide open. And Santiago and Felix were there, shifting her up and away onto a stretcher.

That ruined it. Beth groaned. She felt sick, blood or no blood.

"Get out!" Demetri shouted, looking anguished at their sudden entrance. He barred their way, hiding Aro from view. "You are forbidden to enter my Masters chambers."

Beth laughed, faintly. "Nice to know you haven't changed your tune."

He glared at her, just as Anna brushed past him. "No!" He grabbed Anna's arm, and went to yank her back. "You will go no further. Leave. _Now_, before I have to force you."

"I wouldn't," Beth muttered. She was pressed against the length of the door, head down so her hair dangled like scarlet silk away from her face.

_Ding dong, the witch is dead,_ she unexpectedly found herself trying not to giggle, and savagely bit the inside of her cheek to keep it at bay. It would be horrendously inappropriate, and she knew it would come out squeaky and crazy if she did.

"No, Demetri," Aro said, suddenly. "Let Anna approach."

His servant twitched. "Master?"

"Let her approach."

His tone of voice left no room for argument – not that his servant ever argued with him anyway – and Demetri let go of Anna, hesitantly, moving aside for her to come forward.

Aro was sat, cool and regal on the edge of a four-poster bed of impossible size; his feet still touched the floor. He certainly didn't _look_ like the man who had just murdered anyone, but Anna supposed that just came with so many years of doing it.

"Do not fear, Demetri," she murmured, gently. "I promise you no harm will come to him."

He bowed his head, but Aro smiled. It was a placid vow that sounded almost like a threat.

"You may leave now." He craned his neck to look at Beth with concern. "And please escort Elizabeth outside. She looks in need of some fresh air."

"I don't," she snapped back, but her voice sounded thicker than normal. Nevertheless, her eyes dared Demetri to try anything, to which he huffed in exasperation.

"I do not want to have to clean up after you, little one."

Anna sighed in despair. Commenting about her lack of height was the lowest blow Demetri could make…and he probably knew it too.

Beth hissed. "Call me 'little' again, and I'll puke on your suit." Her eyes flashed to Anna. "Will you be alright?"

She nodded.

"Alright then." Giving Aro one last look, she left, saying sweetly, "Come on, bloodhound. Let's leave the lovebirds to it…"

Demetri growled at the name she was apparently adamant on appointing him. With one final nod to his Master, he too departed, leaving Anna and Aro completely alone.

She shut the door with a soft _snick_. Caius and Athenodora had fallen mercifully silent, but in its wake, the atmosphere was thick and heavy around her ears. When she swallowed, something in her throat clicked.

Her insides felt tight, knotted like a ball of yarn, which was bad enough without her heart aching, a solid lump of _want _in her chest. She didn't know if she was furious at him for acting so callously, or if she wanted to…what? Kiss him? Good God. Sulpicia had only been dead for fifteen minutes, and she was already lusting after Aro, like some hormonal adolescent. A man who she was only just starting to know, this man who was throwing his world at her very feet.

All she had to do was decide whether or not to take that fateful step inside.

But what if she did? What then?

Antoine's prophecy would come true. She would become Aro's Queen. Yet his Guard would question Sulpicia's death, and would point the poisonous finger of suspicion, believing she had been plotting to overthrow their queen all this time.

Anna pressed her lips together. She could handle that – but a man who could murder his wife of over millennia as casually as swatting a fly was hardly her idea of the perfect husband.

But she could not deny how she felt, standing close to Aro now. She met his eyes and kept them there, suddenly feeling bold and brave.

"Speak, Aro. Explain yourself."

Aro blinked. "To what are you referring to, Anna?"

Anger growled in her gut, but she remained calm. "Do not play the innocent. You have murdered your _wife_, the woman you have loved for centuries. For what reason?"

She knew the answer; she wanted to see if he had the courage to say it.

She waited.

Slowly, he got to his feet, folding his hands in a gentle, contemplative gesture. "Sacrifices must be made for the good of the coven, Anna. I had no need for her anymore."

Anna sighed, a little shakily. She was right after all. Something hard and heavy plummeted down in her heart.

"So you do still think I am some prized part of your little collection," she said, woodenly. "You have not changed. After all this time…you only want my gifts."

That finally wiped the smile clean off Aro's face. In one startling, fluid movement, he was standing before her. Her heart seized, as his hands gripped around her bare upper arms, strong and fervent.

"That is not true," he replied, earnestly. "Have you forgotten what we shared together tonight so soon? I _have_ changed." His eyes, crinkled with strain, roved her face like the sweeping disc of a metal detector, attempting to find answers in her eyes.

But she twisted out of his grasp, feeling tiny and weak. "Of course you have."

"Anna," he said, hoarsely. "If I had let Sulpicia live, she would have found a way to keep us apart. She would have destroyed you." It pained him to even imagine it. Anna gifts could only protect her from so much.

"Because she loved you?" She asked, quietly.

"No." He shook his head, smiling whimsically. "We loved each other… once. But that was many years ago. She only wanted me for the protection, and…status that came with being my wife."

"But I could have helped her, with Darius' –"

"No. You only took a small sample of Darius' power, _cara mia_. You would not have had the strength for it."

"What makes you so certain?" Her voice was deadly soft. "Aro, you should have considered all the options, before deciding that _eliminating_ her was the one you would take. Is that not what a fair and just leader of the Volturi would do?"

"There were no other options."

"There are always other options, Aro!" Anna cried, an exasperated hand scrunching in her hair. Her heart twanged painfully with the memory of Antoine and Sabine's death, and how Aro had been so intent on ridding the world of little Freya and her dangerous power, he had been blinded from seeing the whole picture. Even though he had lost his most faithful servant because of it. He had not questioned at all. If she hadn't been so frightened by the idea of Aro finding her, she knew now what she would have done.

The shock of revelation hit her hard._ How time has changed me. _

Perhaps _he_ needed _her_ more than she realised. He made her strong…but he had all the power he could ever need.

_I make him less of a tyrant. I make him _think_._

Aro smiled. "You understand now," he said, and she started in surprise. It always felt strange when he answered her unspoken thoughts so casually. His eyes sparked with ill-disguised hope. "You will make a wonderful Queen, Anna. If you wish it."

Anna blinked. He was giving her the chance to decide, even though it was inevitable. But to give in, drop everything and join the Volturi was not what she wanted to do. Not yet.

Her heart squirmed in agony to see Aro's face all but collapse with disappointment, reading her thoughts.

"I do…some day. I'm sorry, Aro. I just do not think I am ready yet."

"I disagree," Aro replied, groaning with frustration or desire, she knew not, only he had to understand, or her resolve would surely break right then and there. To be this near to him was making her head swim.

She reached out to touch his cheek, feeling the rock-hardness of his pale skin. Her insides squeezed in absurd anticipation. "Aro, I cannot abandon my sister. She has always been there for me, so I must be there for her before I decide to be your Queen. It will not be easy for her to see me go."

"Anna – are you trying to kill me?" he spluttered. It was so unlike him to lose his cool like that, and she shook her head, hiding a smile. It sounded like something Beth would say, without the mad, dramatic hand gestures.

"Your family are going to learn of their Lady's death, and they will undoubtedly mourn her loss, even if you will not," she said, solemnly. "I think it will be best if I was not around, to avoid any unnecessary suspicion."

She expected Aro to protest – but he just brushed the stray curl off her forehead.

"This is your final decision then," he said. The sadness in his eyes stabbed at her heart, but she held firm.

"It is."

He caught her by surprise by pulling her into a desperate embrace. Though she gasped, she did not try to stop him, as he almost lifted her off her feet, moulding his body into hers. Oh, she wanted this, no matter how conflicted she felt about it.

She returned the kiss with equal fervour. It was a kiss unlike any she had experienced. Charged with fraught passion and pain, yet her lips were full and gentle against his in a way Sulpicia's never had. Aro wondered what else was different about her, and he moaned against her mouth.

_Soon. _

When he released her, both were gasping for breath.

"We cannot stay apart for long," Aro whispered, pressing their foreheads together. "Remember that. We shall both suffer for it."

"I know." She swallowed. "But that is why I must go." Aro opened his mouth to retort, but she stopped him with soft fingers on his lips. "This has happened so fast, Aro. _Too _fast. I…I need time to adjust, before I take my place by your side."

Aro's eyes widened. "Is that a promise?"

A small, glittering smile, and she answered him with another kiss. This time it was warm and tender, full of hope and love.

"Do not think ill of me for leaving you," she said, and her voice shook a little. "I promise you I will return, and when I do, I shall be your Queen."

To hear her finally, _finally _say it aloud, that she wanted to be his Queen was almost enough to make him smile, but he could not find the will to do it.

"I shall wait for you," he murmured instead.

_For as long as it takes._

"I know you will," she whispered.

Pressing another chaste kiss to his lips, she was gone. There was no goodbye…because it _wasn't _goodbye, not entirely. Anna _would _return to Volterra to become the great Queen Antoine had seen in his vision. But, as she had said, just not yet.

She still needed Beth's blessing, and she still needed time to come to terms with what was to come; she could only hope the growing bond between her and Aro would allow her to have the freedom to do all these things.


	24. Chapter 24: Beth's choice

**Hiya! Hope I haven't kept you guys on edge for to long with all this waiting! This is the penultimate chapter, I'm afraid - but don't worry, as the sequel is in the works, and I shall start writing it soon once TLS is all wrapped up!**

**Until then, enjoy!**

**LookAliveSunshine03**

* * *

**Chapter 24:**

**Beth's choice**

When the door was shut behind her, Beth had to force herself to walk away. She ignored Demetri calling after her, letting her legs carry her downstairs to the hallway that was now quite familiar to her.

God, how he pissed her off… wait, was he following her?

She stopped to listen, but only the murmurings coming from behind closed doors answered. Shutting her out in every direction.

And it was _Anna _who had shut her out!Well. Beth knew when she wasn't wanted, but that didn't stop the hurt taking a massive bite out of her.

The message was quite clear. She had no place here – but where _did_ she belong now, anyway? If someone had asked her that a few months earlier, she would have…oh well, she wouldn't have known then either, except it wouldn't have mattered because at least she'd had someone by her side.

Now Anna was having her little heart-to-heart chat with Aro, discussing her potential future as his mate. So where did that leave Beth – and why did they call it _mated? _It sounded so dark and _animal_.

Beth grimaced, remembering the noises coming from Caius and his wife's bedroom. Vampire love was _exactly_ what that was.

Maybe she _did_ need that fresh air after all.

She took the same route as before, enjoying the stillness. If her ears weren't so sharp, she would have assumed this place was as dead as the people living in it, yet outside in the sunshine, the world was very much alive. The sounds of distant, lively birds and human voices greeted her. The early morning sun winked at her behind the eastern wall, and she stepped into its path to watch the light show.

In spite of her low spirits, Beth could feel a weight beginning to shift off her shoulders as she hopped from one foot to the other, in and out of the shadows of the building. It felt great to get away from an atmosphere that wasn't highly charged with…what should she call it? Sexual tension? Because it seemed to follow Anna and Aro around like a disease, whatever it was.

Her footsteps made no sound against the cobbled pathway of the garden, though the memories of the night before still screamed loud and clear to her. She skirted round the Beth-sized cracks in the stone, refusing to look at them.

"It's a good thing this garden is so pretty – oh!"

There was Anna's scarf. It was just…_lying_ there, all crumpled on the very edge of the lake, forgotten in the excitement.

Swiping it up, she checked to see if it was damaged or wet. The flower-embroidery sparkled cheerily up at her, as if to reassure her that it was unharmed.

"How can such a small thing hold such significance?"

She made a mental list:

_It was a sign of Darius' (pretty fucked up) feelings for Anna… and so it was the key to his well-deserved downfall. _

_Aro kept it, as a sweet (creepy) token to remember her by._

And now it was just – abandoned? Beth couldn't allow that.

_If something – or someone – was going to be abandoned today, _she thought, brusquely,_ it _isn't_ going to be this silly scarf. _

Sniffing, she tied it securely around her arm to give back to Anna, and decided to take a stroll across the bridge. It took up most of the space, so it only felt right to use it.

It vaguely reminded her of something from a fairy tale, long, curving but still sturdy, despite its visible age. Running her hands along it, Beth could see it had been red once – maybe as bright as her hair –but the sun had had its way with it, and had bleached it sad and pale. Still, it was smooth enough for her to comfortably lean her bare arms on the bowed fence, so she took advantage of that, heaving a great, very therapeutic sigh that got lost in the warm breeze.

It tickled the ends of her hair, swirling the different flowery scents of the garden around together. Strangely, the result was nice and almost soothing; not at all cloying, like all the gardens she had come across as a human back home in dear ol' Blighty.

Beth snorted. Didn't neurologists say that memories of smells stayed with you longer? Because she remembered lots of unimportant things like that.

The sound of footsteps made her jerk to attention. For one pathetic moment, she thought it was Anna…but the steps seemed too measured, too heavy.

She sighed. _Of course it isn't her. I doubt she's ever going to come back. _Which, consequently, made her feel very guilty. _Jeez, Elizabeth! You know her better than _that_._

His shadow came first, hunched and grey. The sun was behind him, but in this bright, tranquil environment, he looked rather dark and out of place. His eyes remained as sad as ever.

But there was a ghost of a smile when he spotted her, stood up there on the bridge, like he was actually glad to see her. It was a strange but…also quite a nice, comforting thought.

"Hello, Marcus," Beth called, tossing him a little wave. "Long time no see."

He smiled. "It is a beautiful morning, isn't it? Would you care for some company?"

She shrugged, acting nonchalant. "Okay, alright."

In truth, she wanted someone to talk to – and without Anna, he was her best bet for a civilised conversation in this place. For some reason, he treated her as an equal, and not as someone inferior to him. That puzzled Beth, because she _was_ inferior to him, very much so, and that didn't seem to bother him in the slightest.

She sucked in a breath when the bridge creaked under Marcus' considerable weight, but it thankfully held firm.

_Good thing too. _Glancing down at her reflection, she wrinkled her nose at the unmistakably dank smell the lake gave off, like a gas. _Because that water doesn't look particularly inviting._

"I see like so many of us you have found this place to be the ideal environment for much-needed rumination," Marcus murmured, pensively.

Beth blinked. "Come again?"

He did not meet her eyes, choosing to stare out across the lake instead. "You appeared to be lost in your thoughts, my dear," he elaborated, gently.

"Oh, right!" She cried, slightly embarrassed. "Sorry. Yes, I was a bit" – she cleared her throat – "lost in my thoughts, I mean."

"Do you wish to discuss them?"

Beth twisted her lip. "Well…yeah. I mean, I don't like to keep things bottled up. But I don't want to drag you down with my misery," she muttered, awkwardly. _Because you look like you've had your share. _

She missed that part out.

"Your concern is most touching, Beth, but unnecessary," Marcus replied, faintly, and she surprised herself by rolling her eyes. It was such a natural little action that felt wrong, considering who she was standing next to.

_He probably doesn't care anyway._

She dangled her arms over the fence, muttering. "You sound like Anna."

"In what way?"

"Saying my concern is 'unnecessary'." She fluttered her hands into exaggerated air quotes. "Even though you're…" She stopped, aware she was overstepping herself. "Um. So –"

"Even though I am…_what_, my dear?" Marcus' eyes felt like two heavy weights on her bowed head.

Beth tensed. _Great. Now I've done it. I've said too much, and it was all going so well. _"Nothing. Don't worry 'bout it."

"Even though I am… wretched and miserable?"

Her stomach flipped. "What?"

"It is nothing. Do not turn a blind eye to it," he replied, and smiled gently like the sorrow in his eyes did not matter at all.

Beth stared at him, dumbfounded. "H-hold on a second. You just admitted you are miserable," she said, slowly. "…and that's_ nothing _to worry about?!" Her bemusement was too much. "What _happened_ to make you feel this way?"

"The passing of many, many years," Marcus all but whispered. "Yet the sadness of loss never relents."

"You… lost someone?"

"Yes. My wife."

Beth's heart clenched. _Oh. _Oh_._ "Your mate."

"Yes."

Her insides went heavy. "Your _soul _mate."

"Yes."

It was all suddenly, painfully clear, and her hand went to her mouth.

Being with Anna, she had seen what the effects of staying away from a soul mate looked like…but if Aro had died? Her mind couldn't picture it, couldn't _fathom _it.

When she spoke again, her voice was very small. "That must have been devastating."

The impulse to hug him was surprisingly strong. She wanted to hug him, because that was what she would have done if it was Anna stood beside her…but this was Marcus, and even then, it didn't feel that such an action would be enough. Instead, she leaned a little closer to him, full of a helpless sadness that made her _ache_. Maybe his despondence was contagious.

"What was her name, i-if you don't mind me asking?"

He smiled. It was a dreamy smile, as if he was taking a step back in time to a place where he no longer suffered. "Her name was Didyme. She was the most beautiful woman who ever graced this earth."

Beth's throat when tight, the way it did when she was about to cry; back when she could still produce tears. She could only whisper. "I bet she was."

She was dimly aware that someone else had come outside – and when she saw who it was, she gave a gasp. The relief that came over her felt like a tidal wave, pulling her forward.

"Anna!"

"Go to her. I shall be fine," Marcus murmured, looking a little troubled. He had not expected she would react so…empathetically towards his suffering, and that made him feel extremely guilty.

The irony was that she hadn't wanted to bring _him _down with her troubles.

_She is still young. Her future is still bright._

It warmed his heart to see her hug her sister, babbling her surprise.

"You came back! Are you okay? Oh my God! I'm so sorry!"

Anna laughed good-naturedly, though Marcus could see the muted light of pain in her eyes. The bond branching out from her heart flared, white and violent, like a florescent light bulb. "What for?"

"Well, you're here! That means…you're not staying?" Beth's eyes were round with confusion. "I don't get it. Are you sure that's a good idea?"

Anna swallowed. "I need time to adjust is all." She glanced at Marcus. "But it is I who should be sorry."

"Not at all," he replied. "You must be ready to take your place as Aro's Queen. My brother is patient, my dear. He will wait."

She smiled, thinly. "I know."

"But, the bond!" Beth cried, looking a little flustered. "You'll be miserable!"

"It will not be for long…if that is alright with you, Beth."

Beth rolled her eyes. "You know It doesn't matter what I think." She threw a poignant look over her shoulder at Marcus. "Besides, I think I'm going to be staying with you for a while yet."

"You are?" Anna blinked in delighted surprise. "When I return here also?"

"Yeah…if that's alright with you?"

"Of course!" Anna laughed, and pulled her into another overjoyed hug. "Thank you!"

Her spirits felt just that little bit lighter…though only a little. It was hard to scrape up any solid dregs of happiness when her heart felt as dull and heavy as a tumour, lodged in her breastbone. She wondered if Aro was still in his room, and it seemed to jerk inside her.

"So…what now?" Beth was reaching self-consciously around, fiddling with the rip in her dress. Anna could see how lucky she had been; it wasn't deep enough to reveal any skin, but it was enough to be noticeable.

"We need to change." Anna said. "Marcus, forgive me for asking, but may we borrow some clothes? We do not want to draw attention to ourselves, wearing such dresses as these when we leave."

Saying it aloud made her heart squeeze like a fist, stealing her breath for a second. Marcus glanced at her carefully, in that strange, gently probing way that told her he was confirming that her leaving Aro was going to be a very harrowing thing to do.

But she knew that if she didn't leave now, she never would.

"You do not have to ask my dear," he replied. "I shall have Renata bring you some more…suitable attire for your journey, in the rooms you resided in previously."

"Thank you, Marcus."

Anna went to return inside, but then she saw Beth was not following. She stopped. "Beth?"

But Beth was looking up at Marcus, her top lip caught between her bottom teeth.

"Will you be alright on your own?" she was asking, concernedly.

Anna was intrigued. _My goodness. What have I missed here? _

Marcus smiled. "Yes, my dear. Go on, your sister waits for you."

"Oh!" Beth spun round. She saw Anna's eyes moving curiously between them; if she had been human, she would have been blushing as bright as her hair. "Sorry, Anna. I'm coming!"

"Goodbye, Marcus," Anna said, struggling to hide a smile. _This_ was most certainly an unexpected development. "We shall see you again soon."

"Try not to keep my brother waiting…"

"I won't."

Anna purposely moved at the pace of a human fast-walk. She wanted to talk about this…whatever _this _was! She had been so busy with all her own issues, she hadn't counted on anything – especially of _this_ nature – happening to Beth!

Still walking, said friend glared at her. "Go on. Vent your spiel."

"What spiel?" Anna cried, finally smiling. "I simply noticed you looked very comfortable in Marcus' company."

Beth twisted her lip. She glanced at her feet. "Well, I _was_," she said. "I mean, He's really kind, and you can just tell there's so much knowledge in that head of his…"

"You like him." It wasn't a question.

"Yeah."

"Good!" Anna cried, surprising her. "That's a good start, Beth. If you are to be staying, it would be wonderful if you got to know the other members of the Guard."

"_Your _Guard, you mean." Beth suddenly grinned. Then her face clouded over. "But the others are so…so..._up in arms_ about _these._" She waved a hand rather violently in front of her face, where her golden eyes flashed bright in the sunshine.

"So teach them not to be," Anna replied, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

Beth groaned.

"Easier said than done, my friend. Easier said than done."

Another world was stirring inside the Volturi's headquarters. Despite the early hour, the obnoxiously strong, unambiguous stench of freshly brewed coffee was wafting up from somewhere, presumably the kitchen. It was such an alien surprise that Beth's foot froze in mid-air, halfway up the staircase. With her nostrils working like a rabbit's, her face fell miserably.

"I smell pastry." Her eyes were round, full of longing. "Where is it coming from? Downstairs?"

Anna nodded distractedly. "There must be human servants living here." In truth, she barely noticed the smell, and it did not affect her in the slightest. Aro was near. The blunt ache in her heart was throbbing, almost calling to him. Could he tell she was near too?

"I miss human food." Beth was sighing.

"Mmm."

Amazingly, a vampire they could only assume was Renata was already waiting for them, outside their rooms.

_Vampire speed, _Beth shook her head. _You'd think I'd be used to it by now._

Dressed in a heavy black dress, she stood about a foot taller than Anna, with shoulder-length curls the colour of spilt ink. Her tanned skin suggested she was of Spanish blood, and when she spoke, that was confirmed. She rolled her 'r's in a way Beth found envious. She had always wanted to know how to do that.

"Good morning. Master Marcus requested I give these to you?"

Two small piles of clothes were hung, almost lazily, over both arms, and pairs of shoes dangled in bags hanging from her wrists. Beth suppressed a mean chuckle over how ridiculous she looked, loaded up like Morticia Addams on laundry day in that dress.

"Thank you, Renata," Anna said, taking them from her.

Renata bowed. "_De nada,_"

For a moment, she looked like she was about to say something else, but thought better of it, so bid them adieu and went away.

"Weird," Beth muttered, when she was sure she was out of earshot…which took a while, considering how sensitive vampire hearing was. "Maybe she knows about you and Aro."

It was a brainless thing to say, and she knew that as soon as the words left her mouth. She wanted to kick herself.

Anna swallowed, looking uncomfortable. "Maybe," she whispered, and silently handed Beth one of the neatly folded pile of clothes, before disappearing inside her room and shutting the door carefully behind her.

_She's shutting me out again… _Beth sighed. _Way to put your foot in it, Rhodes. _

She was definitely going to have to be more careful if she was going to be the supportive pal Anna needed right now.

Adjusting her clothes and bag in her arms, Beth was suddenly very conscious of how uncomfortably gritty the bare skin on her back felt, and she didn't like it.

_Stupid Sulpicia._

Walking into her room, she noticed how…_unlived_ _in_ it still looked, like a picture out of a showroom catalogue for the Renaissance, or whatever era this style was from.

_Good grief._

Here was the bathroom, and it was huge; hardly an _en suite _at all, decorated in pale green tiling and very tacky gold.

"They sure liked to flaunt how decadent they are, don't they?" Beth mused aloud.

Snorting, she dumped her things onto the first available space, next to a (_ugh_) golden sink, and turned her attention to the bath – the bath that was the size of a small swimming pool.

Its shallow sides were lined with two taps too many to have just the simple function of providing hot and cold water. Subsequently, when she tried them out, she was incredulous (but also rather delighted) to find half of them supplied two different kinds of bubble bath. One smelt faintly of vanilla, which she used. The other reeked of pungent roses and that made her choke.

Even though she needed it, she couldn't quite shake the feeling she shouldn't be here. It was such a normal, take-for-granted action, having a bath, but she felt like she was some perverted thief who got her kicks out of using other people's bathrooms.

_I have no place here. _Her heart sank a little when she reminded herself of her vow to stay with Anna.

_But I don't want to, _a small, childish voice whined in her head. _Nearly everyone here hates me._

Was that true? Maybe not, _per se, _but there was definitely something about her eyes – her _diet _– that meant the Guard didn't quite trust her, so they treated her as such…and her natural defensive instinct wasn't exactly helping to change that, either!

So, if she stayed, what would happen? Would she see a better side to them? She wasn't sure yet, but begrudgingly assumed that only time would tell – and if she was going to be staying here in the future, surely she had every _right_ to use this bathroom, because it was hers. The bath was already running, anyway.

Satisfied (for now), she closed the door and undressed, taking great care not to rip her dress any more.

The clothes Renata had provided her with were very basic, but suitable. They looked like her size, which immediately set Beth's teeth on edge, as she tried – and failed – not to think about where they had originally come from...

* * *

**The end is nigh, dear readers! :'( The epilogue will be up shortly!**

**With regards to the sequel, I'd noticed a lot of you liked the idea of Beth and Marcus having a bit of a relationship, so thought I would develop it further there...with a few surprises. Obviously because of their MASSIVE age difference, and because Marcus is permanently damaged from Didyme's death, it won't be anything as sexy as Anna and Aro's (something else to look forward too, eh?), but it will ultimately be very, very sweet.**

**Ooh, I'm getting excited just writing about it!**


	25. Chapter 25: Epilogue

**C****hapter 25:**

**Epilogue**

Fifteen minutes passed. Remembering her bag (and to tuck Anna's scarf up her sleeve), Beth left the bathroom feeling incredibly refreshed, and smelling rather like a white chocolate cookie.

_Mm. That was probably the best bath I've ever had!_

All was quiet outside her room – so much so, she felt momentarily guilty for breaking it with the intrusive knock on Anna's door.

"Come in, Beth."

She found a very different Anna inside, sitting quietly on the edge of her bed while she unravelled her long plait with delicate precision, brushing it carefully out with a many-toothed comb she must have found somewhere.

The indigo dress was gone, folded away in the bag beside her, and she now wore a maroon, hooded shirt with dark jeans that accentuated her curves.

Beth noticed one thing most of all, and it left her feeling guiltily relieved. "You look better."

"I feel better." Anna didn't look up, even when she sniffed. "What's that smell?"

"Oh. Yeah, I had a bath." Beth came to perch her bum beside her friend on the bed, watching her comb her hair. She curled her fingers around each segment of plait, teasing it out and expertly taming the curls with the white comb. "Where did you get that? It looks like ivory."

"It is. I found it on the sink in my bathroom." Anna looked up. She didn't appear to notice the way Beth gaped in horror at the thought of whichever elephant the precious material had been stolen from.

"Oh." An awkward pause. "I'm really sorry about what I said before, about you and Aro. It was a stupid thing for me to say –"

"No, Beth. I'm sure you were right. Everyone must know about us or at the very least have inkling. " Anna sighed. "This bond between Aro and I is new to me. It," – she swallowed, lowering her comb at last – "it _hurts_."

"I know. I can see. " Beth wrapped an arm around her. "Marcus told me it was the strongest bond he had ever seen. So… you don't _have _to leave, you know. We can stay, if it will be better for you."

"No. Somehow I do not think it will be." Anna straightened up, almost proudly. "I am to become Aro's Queen, Beth. That is a responsibility I have to ready myself for."

"You mean without his…um, _presence_ distracting you?"

"Mm. I am going to miss him."

This shouldn't have surprised Beth, but it did. _She's changed so much. _"And he will undoubtedly miss you too. So it's probably a good thing I found this…"

She pulled out the scarf with a small flourish, and placed it in her lap, treating it as gently as a kitten. "I found this in the garden, and I thought you might like it back."

Anna exhaled a small laugh. "I must stop leaving this around." Her hands came almost protectively over it. "Thank you, Beth."

Beth shrugged. "I suppose you'll…leave it with Aro, won't you?"

She paused. "Yes. I will."

Suddenly, there was a curt knock on the door, and they exchanged a startled look, both thinking exactly the same thing. _Is it him?_

"Who is it?" Anna asked. She kept her voice composed, despite her wide, eager eyes.

"It is Demetri, _signora. _My Masters are asking for you."

Beth bit back a groan. _Oh, great. _You. Beth was dreading the sneering, contemptuous look Demetri seemed to hold just for her, but she followed Anna in spite of it.

_Don't forget your promise,_ a small, but very reproachful inward-voice reminded her. _Treat him with respect…and maybe he will return the favour._

Stepping aside, Demetri courteously nodded to them, bidding them good morning without a flicker of emotion – that is, until Beth drifted passed.

He smelt the familiar, sweet waft of Volturi bubble bath emanating off her. His handsome gaze seemed to sharpen to a point where she wanted to cringe away from it.

_Go on, then, _she thought. _Make a fuss. Just stop glaring at me._

"I see you have been making yourself at home," he acknowledged, silkily, but that was it.

Beth tried not to gawp. "Yes, um…"

"She will be staying with me on my return," Anna smiled over her shoulder.

Well, Demetri clearly was not expecting that. In any other situation, Beth would have laughed at the expression on his face, but she felt only a bitter stab of hurt.

_I'm not that awful to be around…am I?_

"Let's go, shall we?"

They made their way to the Hall in silence, allowing minds to wonder. Neither of them could help thinking back on the dark dread they had felt that day. Back when the Volturi were just an emotionless, ominous cult of authority who had so mercilessly killed her family.

But who knew they were so...human? Marcus with his wrecked heart, Caius with his wife (Beth tried not to linger on that too much), and Aro, falling quite wonderfully helplessly in love with her best friend. It rather screwed up the mind.

Through the heavy doors, and they saw all trace of the night before had vanished in the Hall, presumably by human cleaners. They'd even had time to wax the floor.

Only the three leaders stood in the room, and Anna wondered if perhaps the Guard had been ordered to stay away – and if that was so, how much had Aro told them? Someone was dead, there was no question there, but they couldn't possibly know _who, _could they?

She swallowed. He had some _serious_ explaining to do; she could see that in Caius' face, as they all glanced up at the sound of the girls' entrance. He looked like he was about to explode.

A smile as dazzling as the sun broke on Aro's face, and her heart seized in her chest.

"Aro."

She dropped her bag, yet even in her blatant eagerness, she did not run to him…he caught her, drawing her in; _clinging_ to her almost in such a passionate, desperate way, Anna shivered. She pressed a single, sweet, lingering kiss to his lips, causing him to sigh with longing.

"Oh, Anna…"

Beth felt the need to avert her gaze. _Will it always be like this?_ She was relieved when she caught the eye of Marcus, who gave her a smile of greeting. Her heart lurched at the memory of their last meeting, but she returned it easily, feeling genuinely glad to see him again.

Caius spotted this, and she suddenly felt like a naughty child under his glare. It crackled with suspicion.

_Boy, I can't wait to see you again, _she thought, gloomily.

The future Queen of Volterra was only metres away from her, but it might as well have been an entire world away. She had only eyes for Aro.

"You have something for me?" He was asking. His fingers teased at the loose knot that tied her scarf around her forearm.

"Yes." Anna swallowed, and something clicked in her throat. Her eyes shone. "As I recall, you are quite familiar with it.

He brought the scarf to his nose, breathing in her fresh scent. His eyebrow arched. "A fond memory?"

"A vow," she whispered. "One of many to come." The sweet sincerity in her voice made him beam wider.

"The day beckons, brother," Caius said, abruptly. "The sun is rising."

Now it was Beth's turn to glare – but when she automatically glanced up at the ceiling, she saw that he was right.

So if they were going to leave without drawing too much attention to themselves, they were going to have to leave_ now._

Anna swallowed. "Time is not on our side," she sighed, her voice small.

"But soon it will be," Aro glanced up at Beth, and said, with just a hint of strictness. "I await your return."

Translation: _Take care of my mate, you hear me? _

She nodded, rolling her eyes a little. "It'll be sooner than you think, trust me." That earned her a small, watery smile from Anna.

"Farewell…my love." She pressed a final kiss to his forehead, and turned away.

Beth almost expected him to follow them out, but he did not. He stood there, with the bright eyes of a fraught man, but that was it, and that confused her. Didn't he like leaving his hall, even now, watching his Queen depart from him?

Wrapping a protective, supportive arm around Anna's shoulders, she stored that little niggling thought away for a later date.

It was Demetri who saw them out. How strangely fitting it felt, as it was he who had seen them into these strange turn of events.

No one spoke, not even Beth. For once, the quiet didn't affect her at all. Anna was putting on a brave face, but the pain flashed raw in clear in her eyes for all to see, as the distance between her and Aro grew and grew.

They reached the back entrance. Demetri came to a stop, his face bored, almost blank.

"Well," said Beth. She smirked, crookedly. "This has been…fun."

Anna's lip curved into a small smile, while Demetri was, of course, scowling.

"This is hardly the time for joking." He suddenly glared at Anna, growling, "You are making a terrible mistake, leaving Master Aro like this."

"Hey!" Beth cried, shocked and angry, but Anna got there first.

"I realise that, Demetri. However, you should have a care before you decide to lecture me on what you believe I should and should not do." She smiled. There was no malice behind that smile, and perhaps that was what made it all the more deadly. "After all, you do not want Aro to think you doubt me, do you?"

Beth didn't know whether to applaud her or be afraid, except she felt very glad she wasn't on the receiving end of that question. Demetri looked quite taken aback.

"No, I do not…my Lady." He cleared his throat, uncomfortably. "Forgive me for saying so."

_Holy shit! _Beth thought, with some delight. If Anna was shocked to hear him apologise – and address her as his _Lady _– she did not show it.

"That's quite alright." She smiled again, and it was beautiful, serene. "Just know that I won't keep him waiting; I promised him I wouldn't. Goodbye, Demetri."

"Yeah," Beth nodded her head. In spite of her vow, she knew she would be ribbing him _mercilessly_ about this later. "See you soon. _Real _soon."

They walked out of the Volturi's headquarters, hand in hand, with their hoods up.

Up in his room, Aro watched them disappear briefly under Beth's glamour.

"Till we meet again," he murmured to the air, "Don't keep me waiting, my love."

He could almost see her smiling, that gentle, delicately coy smile she kept just for him.

_I won't, my love. I won't._

**To be continued…**

* * *

**So here we are at last! I really hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing...although next time, I'll try not to lay the angst on quite so thick! The title for the sequel is going to be _Finding Her Feet_, so look out for it when I am ready to put it on here!**

**For now, though, your feedback and reviews are always welcome!**

**LookAliveSunshine03**


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